COLUMBIA, S.C. - Economic development professionals with Parker Poe have helped Giti Tire secure the terms it needed to select Chester County in South Carolina as the home of its first U.S. tire manufacturing plant. The $560 million project is expected to generate 1,700 new jobs over the next 10 years and bolsters South Carolina’s position as a leading tire-manufacturing state in the country.
The plant will be the ninth manufacturing facility for Singapore-based Giti Tire Group, which produces a wide range of tire products for customers in more than 100 countries. Its Giti Tire (USA) Ltd. operation sells and distributes GT Radial, Primewell, Dextero and Runway tires across the United States and Canada.
The Chester County plant is the company’s first greenfield project in North America and will produce passenger and light truck tires for the replacement and original equipment markets. It will be built off Interstate 77 at S.C. 9 and S.C. 56 near the Richburg community with a focus on maintaining a healthy balance with the environment and following Giti Tire’s green initiatives.
“We helped Giti Tire evaluate sites throughout the Southeast and then worked closely with the executives and economic development leaders from Chester County and the South Carolina Department of Commerce to secure the tax and infrastructure incentives that made this huge step forward for the region possible. Seeing this project come to fruition for our friends and clients in Chester County leadership, and for the people of the region who will secure good jobs at this plant, is particularly gratifying,” said Ray E. Jones, Partner at Parker Poe.
“Our role in this project was one of facilitation,” added Mark Simmons, a Principal with Parker Poe Consulting LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parker Poe that provides diverse economic development services to clients in multiple states in the U.S. and Mexico. “We worked with both sides – state and local leaders and company representatives alike – on the common goal of putting together a package that’s a win-win for everyone. We’re excited to have been a part of this process and to have had some role in adding value to the deal.”
The 1.8 million-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility will initially produce 5 million tires annually with plans to increase that output to meet future demand, the company said as it joins Michelin, Bridgestone and Continental as major international companies manufacturing tires in South Carolina.
“Chester County is an excellent location for Giti Tire, offering an extensive and efficient infrastructure network including interstate highways, rail, close proximity to airports, and a major metropolitan area to support the company’s needs and growth for many years to come,” said Lei Huai Chin, Managing Director of Giti Tire Group.
Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has 190 lawyers in five offices located in major markets across North Carolina and South Carolina. The Firm provides legal counsel to large commercial and public organizations on litigation, corporate and regulatory matters.
Parker Poe Consulting
Parker Poe Consulting LLC is a South Carolina limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP. Parker Poe Consulting offers a full complement of services including economic development, site selection and incentive negotiation consultation to both foreign and domestic clients. For more information, please visit www.parkerpoeconsulting.com.
Giti Tire
Giti Tire Group has been in the tire business since 1951, and is ranked 10th globally by Tyre Press. Giti Tire operates 8 manufacturing plants, produces a broad range of tire products and markets to customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Giti Tire (USA) Ltd. is the sales, marketing, and distribution company for North America. It markets and sells a family of brands: GT Radial, Primewell, Dextero, and Runway tires for high performance vehicles, passenger, SUV, light truck and medium truck through national retailers, independent retailers and distributors across the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit www.gtradial.com; www.primewelltires.com; www.dexterotires.com.