YOKOHAMA Rubber Co. Ltd has chosen US-based Kajima Associates/Architects & Engineers to design the first phase of the 931,000 sq ft West Point tyre plant.
The project, assumed to cost US$300 million, will include production, warehousing and operations facilities for US subsidiary Yokohama Tire Corp.
The first phase will employ about 500 workers and produce 1 million tyres yearly.
Construction is expected to be completed by October 2015.
Yokohama plans to complete three more phases, estimated to be valued at US$1.2 billion. The company said that government aid and tax incentives could reach a total US$330 million if all phases are built.