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Gov. David Beasley shakes hands with Yoichiro Kaizaki, president of Bridgestone Corp., after Mr. Beasley gave Mr. Kaizaki a gift of appreciation Friday during the dedication of the Bridgestone/ Firestone plant in Aiken. Ron Cockerille/Staff

Tire plant brings promise

Web posted May 2, 1998

By Todd Bauer
South Carolina Bureau

GRANITEVILLE -- Construction of Bridgestone/Firestone's tire plant didn't stop, even during its dedication Friday morning.

Noise from cranes outside, backhoes and bulldozers inside the cavernous building, and beeping from dump trucks driving somewhere in reverse didn't quite drown out South Carolina Gov. David Beasley's speech of gratitude toward the Japanese tire manufacturer.

The governor called the light-truck and passenger car tire plant ``an opportunity unlike anything we've seen before.''

``When they tell you something, you can take it to the bank,'' he said of the company's management team.``They're dedicated to our quality of life.

The main building at Bridgestone Firestone is moving right along as planned.Thbuilding was dedicated Friday with the help of Gov. Beasley. Ron Cockerille/Staff

``They're the type of company and industry that makes me proud to be the governor of South Carolina,'' he said.

Mr. Beasley delivered the remarks from a platform set up on the black tile of the factory floor. The 1.5-million-square-foot plant is expected to crank out test tires before the end of the year and reach full production in the spring of 1999. Bridgestone officials say the plant will have the shortest start-up time of any tire plant in the world.

The company's top management from Japan attended the invitation-only ceremony. Yoichiro Kaizaki, president of Bridgestone Corp., the American firm's parent, thanked the governor for the state's cooperation.

``Building a plant requires more than just construction,'' he said. ``It requires an understanding between the plant and the community.''

The company used the ceremony to announce a $50,000 donation to Area 3 schools in the Aiken County school system.

Governor David Beasley (right) gets an Indy 500 helmet autographed by Arie Luyendyk who won the Indy 500 in 1997 using Firestone tires. Ron Cockerille/Staff

When the ceremony was finished, attendees formed a line to get autographs from Arie Luyendyk, defending Indianapolis 500 champ who won with Firestone tires.

The ceremony was intended to serve as a ground-breaking ceremony because there wasn't time to hold one last year when construction actually began.

Construction crews have finished most of the steel girders that serve as the skeleton for the factory and have put a roof over much of it. Parts of the area were shrouded behind black curtains and signs reading ``restricted area -- class A access required.''

Workers were still busy in the curing area -- the part of the factory where tires are finished.

The Japanese tiremaker announced it would build a $435 million passenger car and light truck tire plant in Aiken County in August. Construction began almost immediately.

The plant is under construction in an extension of Aiken County's Sage Mill Industrial Park in Graniteville.

About 200 dignitaries, including state Secretary of Commerce Bob Royall, state Sen. Tommy Moore, D-Clearwater, and Aiken County Council Chairman Ronnie Young, attended the event.