Tire manufacturer breaks ground on $10 million building in Brimfield
A Tallmadge tire manufacturer broke ground recently on its new manufacturing plant in the Maplecrest development in Brimfield.
Martin Wheel, a division of Kenda Tire, recently broke ground on its manufacturing plant, warehouse and office space. The company hopes to have the plant up and running by the end of 2024.
The construction site is on International Drive, just behind the Meijer and Menards stores in Brimfield, across from Hamrick Packaging. The property is located in Brimfield's Joint Economic Development District with Tallmadge.
The company got a 60%, 10-year tax abatement from the county in 2021. At that time, the company announced plans to invest $13 million to $18 million in the new location, including $10 million in the building itself. Those details have not changed, nor have employment projections to maintain 101 jobs and add at least 24 new employees, said Brad Ehrhart, president of the Portage Development Board. The company has an annual payroll of $5.6 million.
“This groundbreaking is an important milestone in Martin Wheel’s history which has been a part of the NE Ohio community for over 65 years,” Darrell Ruthrauff, general manager of Martin Wheel, stated in a press release. “Supporting our customers in the outdoor power equipment, golf cart and trailer industries is paramount, and this added space gives us the ability to expand our service and capabilities.”
Campbell Construction in Wooster is building the 198,000-square-foot facility.
In 2021, a company controller told commissioners that the plant has been in the area since 1960. The company makes more than 12,000 products, including wheels for lawn mowers, yard tractors and tires for the majority of golf carts. The company had been considering the expansion for some time. The existing building, on West Avenue in Tallmadge, cannot be expanded, which limited the company's growth.
“Kenda is a longtime resident in the state of Ohio and is happy to expand further in NE Ohio," Jimmy Yang, Kenda chairman, stated in a press release. "Our continued growth will bring new opportunities and jobs in the manufacturing and distribution sector."
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Tire manufacturer breaks ground on $10 million building in Brimfield
