Expansion Management

Yokohoma Opens First US- Built Plant in Mississippi

Oct. 6, 2015

The plant is the most modern in the company’s system. It will take up to two years to reach annual capacity of 1 million truck and bus tires.

Adrienne Selko

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., which is based in Tokyo, announced that its first plant in the U.S. to be built from the ground up opened on Oct.2.

The company manufactures tires for light trucks, passenger cars, commercial trucks and buses, and off-the-road mining and construction applications.

The company invested $300 million in the plant which will create 500 jobs.

“The grand opening of our first U.S.-built plant is truly a historic day for Yokohama,” said Tadaharu Yamamoto, president of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, LLC. “Thanks to Gov. Bryant, the great state of Mississippi, the entire community of West Point, the Golden Triangle Region and the incredible Mississippi workforce, the plant site was developed to a fully operational state-of-the-art facility in record time.”

Yamamoto told the Bradenton Health this plant is the most modern in the company’s system. He said it will take up to two years to reach annual capacity of 1 million truck and bus tires.

The company plans for three more phases beyond the 1 million-square-foot building it constructed. If all four phases are built, the company would invest a total of $1.2 billion and hire 2,000 workers.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.