A manufacturing plant in Georgia that's over 20 years old is getting a major facelift.
On Tuesday, Pirelli's board of directors approved an investment plan worth about $1.2 billion to expand and upgrade its Rome facility. It's an Italian tire company, but this has been its U.S. headquarters since 2002.
The company reported via press release that its plan involves adding its latest proprietary robotic systems and creating a fully automated conventional production facility. These changes will increase the plant's production capacity to about 6 million tires per year.
Pirelli said its aim is to turn the Rome facility into a "state-of-the-art" industrial hub. In a press release from Gov. Brian Kemp's office, Floyd County Commission Chairwoman Rhonda
Wallace said Pirelli has been a tremendous partner and this new investment is incredible news for its residents.
When is Pirelli Georgia expansion?
The expansion will be implemented in two phases starting in 2027. The first phase will be implementing the new robotics, with production capacity to increase by 2028. The project is expected to be completed in full by 2033.
Factory careers
Pirelli currently employs 234 Georgians. The expansion also includes adding about 1,000 new jobs with the bulk of the hiring to start in 2029.
How much are Pirelli tires?
There are over 30 tires in Pirelli's online catalogue with a variety of prices. Walmart has them listed at $100 on the low end all the way to just over $800.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tire company expanding Georgia factory with $1.2 billion investment
