Bridgestone has announced a $12 million investment in its plant in Bloomington, Illinois, where off-the-road (OTR) tire sizes will now be produced.

The plant will produce multiple sizes and patterns in 29, 33 and 35 in. OTR tires, according to the company, all of which were previously only produced by Bridgestone in Japan. Bridgestone’s investment also increases the workforce at the Bloomington plant by 30 employees.

“As an industry leader, Bridgestone is committed to meet the evolving needs of our customers in the OTR segment,” says Bridget Neal, President of off-the-road tires at Bridgestone. “The addition of the three tire sizes to the Bloomington production line combined with our Aiken County, South Carolina, off-road-tire plant, allows us to support North American customers with regional supply of our key producers.”

Prior to this $12 million investment, the last major investment by Bridgestone in its Bloomington plant was $48 million for a radial and giant loader expansion in 2011 and 2014.

“This investment is about increasing our flexibility to produce high-quality radial or bias tires – whatever our customers demand,” says Monty Greutman, Plant Manager at Bridgestone’s Bloomington plant. “It will allow us to deliver on our global commitment to develop innovative new products that will meet our customers’ needs, but it wouldn’t be possible without the outstanding teammates we have here today – some of whom have worked here for decades.”