Executives of South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook Tire America Corp. plan to invest $612 million into a Tennessee plant they opened in 2017 so that it can begin producing truck and bus tires.
The expansion at Hankook’s factory in Clarksville, northwest of Nashville, will be Hankook’s third since it broke ground on the facility in 2014. The latest project will add nearly 400 jobs to the plant by 2027, growing Hankook’s payroll in Tennessee—which includes its North American headquarters in Nashville—to about 2,300. A second expansion already underway will double passenger car and light truck tire production and create about 800 jobs.
Word of its new plans comes just days after Bridgestone Americas said it will expand its truck and bus tire plant southeast of Nashville, a project that will add 380 jobs and focus on integrating new technologies into that company's tires.
“Through a focus on sustainable construction and innovative manufacturing, the new phase of our Tennessee plant will provide an effective local-to-local supply chain to more effectively fulfill customer demand,” Hankook Tire America President Sooil Lee said in a statement. “Additionally, we are extremely proud to continue to support the local economy.”
For more on Hankook's plans, visit our sister brand IndustryWeek.
