South Korea-based Hankook Tire opened its first 1.5-million square foot manufacturing facility on 469 acres in Clarksville, Tennessee.

According to company officials, development of the Tennessee Plant is integral to Hankook's strategic vision of becoming a top-tier tire brand, while providing high-quality, made-in-USA products to its customers.

The Tennessee Plant is Hankook's eighth plant worldwide and joins a global footprint of state-of-the-art manufacturing that serves customers globally. The plant's first phase will produce 5.5 million units annually, enabling Hankook to more efficiently provide tire dealers and consumers with high-quality tires and industry-leading services to meet the demands of the American market, while supporting existing and future Original Equipment (OE) partners, company officials said.

The plant has already brought nearly 1,000 jobs to the local economy, a total that is expected to climb to 1,800 as infrastructure expands. In addition, Hankook moved its American headquarters to Nashville last year and has hired more than 100 local employees to oversee operations. When the second phase of development is complete, Hankook Tire will double its production capacity to 11 million units annually.

"The new Tennessee Plant signifies Hankook Tire's growing business in the United States and continued journey toward being a global leader in the tire industry," said Seung Hwa Suh, Global CEO of Hankook Tire. "Our investment in the U.S. is part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, state-of-the-art technology and service for our customers. This high-tech, sustainable facility will enable Hankook to execute every phase of business in the U.S., from R&D to production and sales."

"Hankook Tire's new plant brings tremendous economic growth and opportunity for Tennesseans," said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. "Hankook's presence has already brought significant contributions to the local community through job creation and its community outreach. We look forward to continuing our work together to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs."