Success Story: Strong First Year for Foreign-Owned South Carolina Tire Manufacturing Plant

In 2014, EDA partnered with South Carolina's Chester County Sewer District through a $2.2 million grant - matched with $1.5 million in local funds - to make sewer infrastructure upgrades needed to serve a new manufacturing plant that became the first North American manufacturing facility for the 10th largest tire company in the world.

Giti Tire is now well into a year of successful business operations in Chester County. The company, which opened its doors in June 2016, plans to invest $560 million and create 1,700 new jobs over the next decade in order to meet the growing demand of the North American market.

Headquartered in Singapore, Giti Tire produces both passenger and light truck tires for the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and replacement markets in the Chester County plant. The facility, located on the Carolinas I-77 Mega Site, combines manufacturing and distribution activities, with a total plant area estimated at 1.8 million square feet.

The company's decision to locate in South Carolina was driven by a number of factors, including the area's workforce and training opportunities through the technical college system, proximity to major transportation infrastructure and deep-water port facilities in Charleston, market access to the growing Southeast region and the state's business-friendly environment. EDA is proud to have played a role supporting Chester County in this local success.