Bridgestone announces tire plant closure in Tennessee with 700 layoffs

Tire manufacturer Bridgestone Americas is closing its LaVergne, Tennessee, plant and laying off 700 workers there

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tire manufacturer Bridgestone Americas is closing its LaVergne, Tennessee, truck and bus radial tire plant and laying off 700 workers there, the company announced in a news release.

Bridgestone said the closure will help the company “optimize its business footprint” and “strengthen its competitiveness.”

In addition, Bridgestone announced capacity and workforce reductions at its Des Moines, Iowa, agriculture tire plant and additional workforce reductions in U.S. sales and operations. In Latin America, it plans reductions in workforce and production capacity in Argentina and Brazil. A spokesperson for Bridgestone did not immediately respond to questions on Friday morning about the extent of those reductions.

The LaVergne plant was the first tire-producing facility in North America for the Bridgestone Corporation. The company stopped making tires for cars and light trucks at the plant in 2009, laying off roughly half of the workers at the time.