Kumho Tire Plant opens in Macon, brings 400 jobs

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The new Kumho Tire Plant is now up and running. Local and state leaders along with members of the company say the impact on the economy will be felt almost immediately, and say there are plans in place for future growth.

“This plant is state-of-the-art. I mean, it is truly amazing,” Jeff Frentheway, Kumho’s Director of Human Resources for the Georgia plant, said.

It’s a sentiment felt by hundreds as people celebrated the launch of the home of the newest business in Macon.

“It’s a great day for Bibb County and the Middle Georgia area, and we are very proud to have Kumho in Bibb County,” Gary Bechtel, a Macon-Bibb County commissioner, said.

After nearly a decade — from first talks to a stop in production because of the recession — the Kumho Tire Plant is finally open.

Leaders from across the state including Governor Nathan Deal, Congressman Sanford Bishop, and others spoke on how significant having Kumho’s first U.S. manufacturing facility in Georgia, specifically Macon, really is.

“Georgia has a thriving automotive sector,” Deal said in his remarks.

“To accomplish this thing and to have this plant built, producing, in this kind of time frame is just unprecedented and amazing,” Frentheway said.

The 900,000 square foot, $450 million plant will employ 400 people.

“Any time a project of this magnitude locates in your backyard, there’s going to be a big ripple effect,” Stephen Adams, the economic development director for Macon-Bibb’s Industrial Authority, said.

It’s a ripple effect in the pond of the local economy and plans are in place to see even more growth.

“The opportunities that exist for expansion and continued growth on this site are extraordinary,” Bechtel said.

“We’ll go even more than that if we go to a phase two and a phase three depending on the economy and it’s strength,” Frentheway said.

Kumho expects to manufacture four million tires a year and gradually grow the plant to be able to create about 10 million tires a year.