10 Summer 2021 — Strictly Business
CORPORATE SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:
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FIRESTONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
ridgestone’s Firestone Industrial Products Plant in Williamsburg is one of the largest employers in Whitley County and it continues to grow. With an expansion planned for the near future, the plant expects to add an additional 250 positions to its already 500+ employee workforce. The Williamsburg plant was purchased in 1988, and today is the only remaining U.S. Air Spring manufacturing plant. It is expected to produce more than 4.4 million airsprings in 2021. When people think of Firestone, many people think about a tire plant, said Williamsburg Plant Manager Wendy Goff. The Williamsburg Plant actually creates airsprings and airspring modules for the transportation industry. Goff explained that airsprings are like suspension on a vehicle. They help with a better ride, evening out loads, and even help with aerodynamics because it can help raise or lower a vehicle. While many members of the community have
most likely heard about the plant’s upcoming expansion, Goff said that in the past year and a half, there are two things she is most proud of: supporting essential workers during the pandemic and having a product that allowed families to spend quality time together outside of their homes. First, we have continued to work during the pandemic safely, said Goff. We supported essentially workers. We supported truck drivers and the truck driving industry that was still trying to produce trucks and get them on the road. “That was very important for us, and we are very proud that we were a part of that network that supported all of the essential supplies that were having a hard time getting out to the health industry and the food industry,” she said. “Not only do we go on new vehicles, but we also go on after market, so if we had a truck that was down, we were very quick to expedite a part to where it was at if there wasn’t anything in the pipeline to get that truck running.” While supporting the trucking industry, Goff ex-