According to Goodyear, the expansion, which was delayed significantly by the global Covid-19 pandemic, adds two new buildings to the existing facility and has created 160 new jobs.

The plant expansion was done in two phases. The first phase was completed in 2019, and while the second phase began in 2020, the last operating permit required for the project was only issued recently in March 2023. The new equipment installed is claimed to reduce the number of man-hours per unit, while at the same time increasing the demand for skilled workers. These roles include machine operators, maintenance workers and engineers.

And the company wouldn’t have an issue finding suitable candidates up to the task as well. Slovenia currently has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) of any country in central and eastern Europe. Its biggest economic chunk is the services sector, which accounts for more than half of the country’s entire GDP, and more than 60% of the total local workforce.

At its current state, Goodyear already employs more than 1,700 people in Slovenia, as part of its global outreach which totals more than 72,000 people spread across 57 plants and 23 countries worldwide.  

Goodyear isn’t the only one wanting a share of this foreign investment pie. France-based Michelin recently announced too that it would expand its production facility in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. With demand on the rise, we can expect to see more of such expansions in the near future.

Goodyear is also the new LMGT3 tyre supplier for the 2024 season. Check it out here.