CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Clarksvillenow.com Bridgestone Metalpha U.S.A. (BMU) celebrated their 20th Anniversary Tuesday with an anniversary event at the site of their plant on International Blvd. in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Park.
Bridgestone Metalpha President and CEO, Bruce Johnson, spoke to a group of business and community leaders along with BMU employees about the history of the company which began in 1931 in Japan and said that in 2015 Bridgestone was recognized as the largest manufacturer of tires in the world.
The plant produces steel cord that is used in radial tires. Construction on the Clarksville facility began in 1994 with production starting up two years later in 1996. There have been three major expansions at the Clarksville plant over the past 20 years.
Production increased in 1998 to 37,000 tons per year, again in 2004 to 58,000 tons and in 2011 with a $77 million expansion production jumped to $64,000 tons per year. Johnson talked about one of the reasons for the company’s continued growth.
“Our dedicated team members and strong relationships we share with our community leaders in Clarksville-Montgomery County are the ingredients for our continued success,” said Johnson. Johnson also thanked around two-dozen employees who were at the celebration for their 20-year commitment to Bridgestone Metalpha.
State Representatives Curtis Johnson and Joe Pitts along with Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett spoke about the importance and contributions of Bridgestone Metalpha as a community partner and the positive economic impact BMU has on Clarksville-Montgomery County and the surrounding area. Past President of BMU, Tora Toraiwa, also attended the celebration.