COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Michelin North America broke ground Tuesday on a $200 million expansion of an existing center in Lexington that will add 270 jobs during the next two years to make passenger tires.
Dick Wilkerson, chairman of Greenville-based Michelin North America, said the tire maker has had plans in the works for the facility for some time to meet growing demand for larger SUV and crossover tires.
Construction will begin immediately.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the state's existing property and job tax credit incentives were used but no new incentives were offered to the French tire maker that has been operating here for 30 years.
"This is what it means to have true company friends in South Carolina," Haley said after a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion. "And I think what you're seeing is a company that is successful and when they're successful, they've chosen South Carolina to continue to do business in. That speaks volumes for our business climate."
Economic development leaders are fretting what that climate looks like two weeks after the South Carolina House rejected as sale tax collection exemption for online retail giant Amazon.com. When Amazon didn't get the exemption, it withdrew its plans for 1,250 full-time jobs and $100 million in investment in Lexington County for a distribution center it is building.
Wilkerson said some of the Michelin hiring will begin at least six months before the expansion is completed for an existing 1.2 million square foot facility in Lexington that employs 1,360.
With a 475-employee, 825,000 square-foot earth moving equipment tire plans, Michelin already had $1 billion invested at the two-facility site that it has operated for 30 years.
Lexington County Council Chairman Jim Kinard gave Wilkerson a crystal container inscribed "Thanks a billion, 30 years."
The company has its North American headquarters in Greenville.
Dick Wilkerson, chairman of Greenville-based Michelin North America, said the tire maker has had plans in the works for the facility for some time to meet growing demand for larger SUV and crossover tires.
Construction will begin immediately.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the state's existing property and job tax credit incentives were used but no new incentives were offered to the French tire maker that has been operating here for 30 years.
"This is what it means to have true company friends in South Carolina," Haley said after a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion. "And I think what you're seeing is a company that is successful and when they're successful, they've chosen South Carolina to continue to do business in. That speaks volumes for our business climate."
Economic development leaders are fretting what that climate looks like two weeks after the South Carolina House rejected as sale tax collection exemption for online retail giant Amazon.com. When Amazon didn't get the exemption, it withdrew its plans for 1,250 full-time jobs and $100 million in investment in Lexington County for a distribution center it is building.
Wilkerson said some of the Michelin hiring will begin at least six months before the expansion is completed for an existing 1.2 million square foot facility in Lexington that employs 1,360.
With a 475-employee, 825,000 square-foot earth moving equipment tire plans, Michelin already had $1 billion invested at the two-facility site that it has operated for 30 years.
Lexington County Council Chairman Jim Kinard gave Wilkerson a crystal container inscribed "Thanks a billion, 30 years."
The company has its North American headquarters in Greenville.