Bridgestone closes Tennessee truck tire plant

Bridgestone has announced the closure of its truck and bus tire plant in Lavergne, Tennessee, USA. The facility will be shut down on July 31, 2025, and it is noted that "this decision is part of the company's strategic initiatives to optimize its market presence and strengthen its competitiveness in the US".

The plant was opened in 1972 by Firestone, which was acquired by Bridgestone in 1988. Approximately 700 people will lose their jobs. Earlier, the company also announced the closure of its truck tire plant in Shenyang, China.

Bridgestone emphasizes that the company has been actively contributing to the development of the US economy since the acquisition of Firestone, including through investments in new tire plants in Warren, Tennessee, and Aiken, South Carolina, which were opened in the 1990s and 2010s, respectively. In the US, Bridgestone also has a technology center in Akron, Ohio, Bandag tire retreading facilities, and a sales network that includes around 2,200 stores.

Currently, Bridgestone is also implementing other measures in the US "to optimize business processes and costs", and will, in particular, reduce production capacity and personnel at its agricultural tire plant in Des Moines, Iowa, as well as lay off some employees in various divisions of the company in the country. As Bridgestone emphasizes, the company will cooperate with all relevant regulatory agencies and trade unions during the staff reduction.

"Such decisions are not easy, as they have consequences for our team members and their families, and at the same time, we are optimizing our business for future development," said Scott Damon, President of Bridgestone Americas. "We are confident that this decision will strengthen our core business and enable us to operate more efficiently".

Bridgestone is also optimizing costs in South America, where the company is reducing personnel and production capacity at its divisions in Argentina and Brazil. All initiatives are part of the "second phase of business recovery", which will be implemented in 2024-2025.

Earlier, Goodyear announced that it would halt production of truck tires at its US plant in Danville, Virginia, and transfer it to other unspecified sites.