Asian tire makers continue to place production in U.S.

摘要

In the beginning, there was Bridgestone Corp. The Japanese tire manufacturer, back in the late 1970s, early 1980s, spent years considering starting tire production in the U.S. Year after year Bridgestone officials would confirm only that they were "studying" the possibility. In 1983, when sales reached a certain level, the company bought the Firestone LaVergne, Tenn., truck tire facility. Bridgestone followed that by buying all of Firestone in 1988. The barrier was down, the Asians were coming. Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. followed shortly after, acquiring Mohawk Rubber Co. and its plant in Salem, Va. It also just began building another plant in in Mississippi. Another Japanese company, Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., opened its first U.S. tire factory in White, Ga., in 2005.