Michelin Ready to Reopen Earthmover Plant near Starr

By Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Michelin formally announced plans to reopen their Earthmover tire plant on Tuesday, and officials suggested expansion could also be in the works.

The plant has already hired 44 new employees and moved 60 other employees to the facility to prepare to resume manufacturing in the near future.

The US10 Plant near Starr was "put to sleep" in 2015, when the company found jobs for all the workers at the facilty with Michelin. Since then a maintenance crew has kept the building ready for a reboot.

The plant, Michelin's 19th in the United States, will produce tires which can stand up to 13.5 feet tall and weigh more than five tons which will be used in the international mining industry. These Earthmover tires will be used in the more than 1,300 mining operations around the world. At least 80 pecent of the tires manufactured at US10 will be exported, most of it through the Port of Charleston.

The US10 project code name, "Sleeping Beauty," was particularly apt. 

"Someone asked who kissed sleeping beauty to wake her up," said Bruce Brackett, senior vice president, Michelin Earthmover & Industrial Tires Worldwide. "We like to say our customers did."

'Brackett said the mining industry was booming around the globe, and that Michelin was already considering the possibility of expansion at the Anderson County plant.

"The outlook (for global mining) is very positive over the next five years," Brackett said. "That's good news for Michelin, Upstate S.C., the country and the world."

He also said groups from around the world have been relocating to the Upstate and they love the people, the area and the barbecue.

"Michelin has been important to Anderson County more many years," said Anderson County Councilman Tommy Dunn. "They helped change the standard of living in Anderson, have been a leader in job training and community involvement, and we are thankful for all they had done here. We look forward to this partnership continuing for many years to come."