Executives of South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook Tire America Corp. plan to invest $612 million into a Tennessee plant they opened in 2017.
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.
The expansion plan will enable Hankook workers to build the first truck and bus tires at the Clarksville site and comes about 18 months after the company’s last growth push there. Word of its new plans comes just days after Bridgestone Americas said it will expand its truck and bus tire plant southeast of Nashville.
“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 American President Sooil Lee said in a statement. “Additionally, we are extremely proud to continue to support the local economy.”
When complete in about two years, Hankook’s Clarksville plant will span more than 2 million square feet. Officials said Aug. 29 they expect it will reach full capacity by early 2026. Hankook entered the U.S. market in 1981 and North America accounted for 28% of the company’s 2021 sales.
