Governor Phil Bryant, executives from Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, and state and local officials gathered today for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the company’s future commercial vehicle tire manufacturing plant near Clinton. The project, announced in February, represents a $1.45 billion corporate investment and will create 2,500 jobs.
“The groundbreaking of Continental’s new tire manufacturing plant in Central Mississippi marks a significant milestone in the development of the company’s newest state-of-the-art facility,” Governor Bryant said. “I congratulate everyone involved with this monumental project and look forward to the plant’s progress.”
Continental’s multi-million-square-foot plant will be located on Norrell Road off I-20 West in Hinds County. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2018.
“Building this new facility in Mississippi is a critical part to our growth strategy for Continental Tire, known as Vision 2025,” said Nikolai Setzer, a member of Continental’s Executive Board and head of Continental’s global tire business worldwide. “This is the first new plant, globally, for the truck tire business in more than ten years. And, at $1.4 billion, this is the largest investment ever for our CVT business. We are convinced that the state of Mississippi provides the best options for Continental to grow our tire business.”
On Feb. 4, the Mississippi Legislature approved $263 million through the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority for site acquisition and site preparation, infrastructure improvements and workforce training. Of the amount, Hinds County contributed $20 million.
“The Mississippi Development Authority is proud to assist Continental Tire as they create 2,500 career opportunities for Mississippians in the Greater Jackson area,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. “We thank our governor, Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and the Mississippi Legislature for their leadership in economic development which works for the good of the people we serve. We congratulate our teammates at the Hinds County Economic Development Authority, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Public Service Commission, Hinds County Board of Supervisors, Greater Jackson Partnership/Alliance, city of Clinton, the state’s community college and IHL system, Atmos Energy and Entergy on this historic day.”
“Continental Tire’s groundbreaking ceremony symbolically sets the foundation of what we consider to be a valued partnership between Continental Tire, the state of Mississippi and Hinds County. The stage is being set to provide job and business opportunities to a vast array of professionals,” said Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Darrel McQuirter. “When the building rises and the dust settles, there will be premium tires built locally by people with diligent hands distributed worldwide from this facility in Hinds County.”
Continental’s new plant will create significant opportunities for Mississippi contractors and vendors. To promote accessibility to these opportunities and keep the public aware of the plant’s progress, MDA created a registration portal for individuals and businesses interested in being a part of the project. However, MDA is not involved in the selection process. Those interested in learning more or registering should visit www.mississippi.org/continental/.