South Korean tyre manufacturer Kumho Tire USA (Kumho Tire) has resumed production at its US$450 million plant in Macon, Georgia, from May 5 and is scheduled to keep running “under enhanced safety precautions” until May 15. Additionally, the company will closely monitor operation and later determine whether to keep the plant open “through the end of the month.”
Kumho Tire halted production at the plant in Macon on April 1 to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The company said it would rely on production from locations in South Korea and Vietnam to help maintain inventory following the closure, which was extended as the COVID-19 situation worsened.
First opened in 2016, Kumho Tire intended for the Macon plant to serve North American-based auto maker – at the time, at least 80% of Kumho Tire’s business was expected to come from global auto makers operating in the US, Canada and Mexico.