Michelin starts up new OTR tire plant in South Carolina

This month, Michelin North America commissioned production at its new plant for giant off-road tires in Anderson, South Carolina. The plant, called US10, cost $750 million and took about 17 months to build, the fastest greenfield construction project in Michelin’s history. The plant will begin commercial production in January 2014 for sale by mid-2014. The facility will build giant OTR tires up to 63 inches in diameter, mainly for the mining industry. Output will serve both domestic and export customers. The new plant is located adjacent to Michelin’s existing rubber compounding plant in Starr, South Carolina. Michelin operates six other earthmover tire plants globally: Waterville, Nova Scotia; Campo Grande, Brazil; Le Puy and Montceau-les-Mines, France; Vitoria, Spain; and Zalau, Romania.