Large tire plant coming to Lancaster & Chester's industrial park in South Carolina

Giti Tire Group recently announced plans to build a tire manufacturing plant in Chester County, S.C., to meet growing demand in the North American tire market.

The $560 million, 1.8 million-square-foot facility — which will become the Singapore-based company's first U.S. plant — will produce passenger and light-truck tires for both the replacement and original equipment markets. The plant will be located in Lancaster & Chester Railroad's industrial park. Owned by Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc., Lancaster & Chester operates 62 miles of track in Chester and Lancaster counties, and interchanges with CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

"Chester County is an excellent location for Giti Tire, offering an extensive and efficient infrastructure network including interstate highways, rail, close proximity to airports, and a major metropolitan area to support the company’s needs and growth for many years to come,” said Lei Huai Chin, Giti Tire's managing director, in a press release.

The first phase of annual production capacity is expected to reach 5 million tires, but the company plans to further increase capacity based on future market demand. The plant will access the Port of Charleston in addition to Lancaster & Chester's rail service.

"We look forward to handling their import-export needs through the Port of Charleston and continuing to support our state’s growing tire industry," said Jim Newsome, president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Ports Authority.