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GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 27, 2021 ― BFGoodrich® Tires will celebrate 75 years of manufacturing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this month. The factory, originally constructed to produce material for the war effort, manufactured its first tire on Oct. 23, 1946, and has now produced more than 500 million tires.
Comprising more than 1.6 million square feet of manufacturing space, the BFGoodrich Tires production facility in Tuscaloosa has supported many “firsts” in the celebrated brand’s industry:
· First tubeless tire in the United States
· First American-manufactured passenger-car tire certified for racing, the BFGoodrich Radial T/A®
· First radial light-truck all-terrain and mud-terrain tire ever produced
· First tires for NASA’s space shuttle
· First purpose-built off-road radial desert race tire, the BFGoodrich Baja T/A
“Our BFGoodrich facility in Tuscaloosa has been on the leading edge of tire innovation and performance for decades,” said Harold Phillips, global general manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “We’re proud to celebrate the dedication of the employees in Tuscaloosa who are responsible for producing some of the most iconic tires ever made for racing, recreation and passenger vehicles.”
The Tuscaloosa plant employs 1,400 people and operates two main activities: manufacturing passenger car and light truck tires and production of semi-finished materials, such as uncured rubber and associated materials needed for tire construction.
“Our 75 years in Tuscaloosa is not only a testament to the dedication of our employees, but it also shows the support of our community and government partners that help us deliver top-quality products for the North American marketplace,” said Brent McCorkle, plant manager of Tuscaloosa.
The importance of the work at the Tuscaloosa manufacturing site is illustrated by its overall impact on the American motorist. Close to 500 million BFGoodrich-brand tires have been built in Tuscaloosa, enough to equip more than 122 million vehicles over the last 70 years. BFGoodrich Tires have travelled more than 1.28 trillion miles on passenger vehicles ― or the equivalent of traveling between Earth and Jupiter 1,000 times.
From its start and through the Michelin acquisition of BFGoodrich Tires in 1990, the factory has continued to produce high quality passenger car, light truck and racing tires. In addition to many historic industry firsts, the Tuscaloosa site is distinguished by its production of competition tires as well. These accomplishments include the first street-legal drag-racing tire, the first street radial tire to compete at the storied 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the first passenger-car tire to defeat pure race tires, and a total of 98 overall wins in the SCORE International® racing series.
The plant plays an integral role in the Tuscaloosa community, donating more than $100,000 annually to charitable causes in the area while also supporting many local school programs. It was one of the first businesses to become an Adopt-A-School partner in Tuscaloosa, and it continues its commitment to workforce development through sponsorship and involvement in programs such as the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s Worlds of Work (WOW).
For more information contact:
Christian Fisher
Christian.Fisher@michelin.com
(office) – 864- 458- 5909
Concetta Odongo
Concetta.odongo@michelin.com
(office) – 205-391-6503
About BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich Tires is dedicated to providing high performance tires for those who have a passion for driving in virtually any environment. Combining technical expertise with 50 years of motorsports experience, BFGoodrich delivers tires for a full range of driving experiences from ultra-high performance street to off-road terrain with one common theme – extreme performance. Come upgrade your performance with BFGoodrich and see where our tires can take you at BFGoodrichTires.com, BFGoodrichRacing.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @BFGoodrichTires.