Tiremaker picks Georgia for 1st US plant

In 2013, Georgia lost its bid to land the first US manufacturing plant for South Korea-based Hankook Tire Co Ltd. The company chose Clarksville, Tennessee.

In that same year, Georgia moved its trade office in China to Qingdao. And three years later, the Peach State was chosen over Tennessee for a $500 million manufacturing and design center for Sentury Tires - based in Qingdao.

The announcement in September 2016 that Sentury would build its plant in LaGrange validated the state's strategy of targeting investors in the eastern city of Qingdao, Shandong province.

Sentury Tire Americas is a subsidiary of Qingdao Sentury Tire Co Ltd in Shandong province, a major rubber trading, tire wholesaling and manufacturing conglomerate.

After visiting sites and reviewing state incentive packages, LaGrange was selected over one near Memphis, Tennessee. Sentury will build a plant in LaGrange that is expected to start production in 2018 and employ more than 1,000 people. LaGrange, with a population of 30,000, is about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta.

"This project will have a very significant economic effect for LaGrange," Mayor James Thornton said when Sentury made the announcement. "An investment of $530 million that creates over 1,000 jobs is very important. I hope that other Chinese manufacturers and businesses will take a look at LaGrange and Georgia for their future plans."

"We are very happy to select LaGrange for the location of our North American manufacturing," Executive Vice-President Rami Helminen said in a statement when the announcement was made. "The education systems and high-quality workforce complement our leading-edge technology."

Sentury makes tires for cars, pickups and aircraft under the Sentury, Delinte and Landsail brands. Its parent company in Shandong province, employs 2,500 people worldwide and has manufacturing operations in Qingdao and Thailand.

Sentury said it specializes in the advanced manufacturing of tires in which robotics plays a key role in the production process. The company said Sentury is now ranked among the top 75 tire companies in the world.

"When Sentury Tire connected with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, we knew they were focused on being in the right spot. Their commitment to locate in LaGrange speaks to Georgia's business-friendly climate and the strong relationship we maintain with our economic partners in China," said Nico Wijnberg, director of international investment for the department.