Continental held its grand opening ceremony today at its newly completed facility in Hinds County.
The 800,000 square foot plant will produce large truck and bus tires for the U.S. market. Production is set to begin in 2020.
The company expects to employ 250 people by the beginning of next year and reach 2,500 workers when it reaches full capacity in 2028. Average production salaries will be $40,000 annually according to company spokeswoman Quita Bride.
Starting construction in 2016, the plant is located on roughly 1,000 acres off Interstate 20 between Clinton and Bolton, about 20 miles west of Jackson. Continental opened an onsite training facility in November 2018.
Approximately 300 guests, including state and local officials and community members joined 250 Continental employees for the ceremony.
“Mississippi welcomes Continental to our great state and looks forward to many years of job creation and synergy with the company,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “This advanced facility helps position our state and our people as champions of manufacturing excellence.”
Continental, headquartered in Hanover, Germany, with U.S. operations based in South Carolina, has committed nearly $1.4 billion to the project, and hopes to make the Clinton plant its flagship U.S. site.
Mississippi provided an incentive package of more than $600 million to the company to locate here, according to a 2018 Associated Press analysis, including $263 million the state and county borrowed to make improvements to the site. Other incentives include tax breaks on property, income, franchise and sales taxes.
“Continental’s grand opening is an exciting moment for us. It has been delightful to witness this site transform into a place for business and job opportunities in Hinds County,” said Peggy Hobson Calhoun, President of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. “Our citizens are ready to work and plan to do so for many years to come.”
Christian Koetz, member of Continental’s Executive Board and Head of the Tire Division, added, “The completion of our new tire plant signifies a major step in our global long-term growth strategy for Continental Tires, called Vision 2025. Mississippi is a critical part of this strategy, providing the best options for us to grow the tire business in the Americas region. We plan to grow here together with our amazing team in Clinton and we appreciate the strong support we have received from all involved.”
For more information on Continental including current job openings, visit the Continental Tires Clinton US Facebook page.
Information from a Business Wire press release, the Associated Press and the Clarion Ledger.