LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The La Vergne community has started to prepare after Bridgestone announced the closure of its Truck and Bus Radial Tire Plant effective July 31.
According to Bridgestone, this will mean the loss of roughly 700 jobs. Billy Kinsley has been at the plant for years, and especially feels for his co-workers who have been there for decades.
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“A lot of them have no idea what they’re going to do,” Kinsley said. “A lot of them were close to retirement, but it’s a little soon, so it’s an awkward ‘Do I try to work for a few more years?’ situation. Like I said, it’s a lot of unknowns.”
Alderman Graeme Coates said the closure will impact not only those employed by the plant, but the greater local economy.
“It will impact surrounding restaurants and areas where people go to eat,” Coates said. “The city does increase in size dramatically during the day as workers come into the city and that particular area to work then go home to their neighboring areas.”
Bridgestone has been a major area employer for more than 50 years. With that, however, Coates said the property has become more desirable.
“It is a very valuable piece of land where it’s sitting, so I’m sure they’ve tied that into their plans of why they want to close up plants, but obviously that’s outside our hands,” Coates added.
Coates pointed to the area’s low unemployment rate as a silver lining, and hopes that workers can find employment elsewhere in Rutherford County.
“It will have a local impact to the employees that are laid off,” Coates said. “Some are from La Vergne, and some are from the county — Rutherford County — so it is a real big impact to lose 700 positions in the county as well as the surrounding areas.”
La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole shared the following statement with News 2:
“We are sad to hear that Bridgestone will be closing it’s plant here in La Vergne after more than 50 years in our community. Bridgestone, formerly Firestone, became one of the first industrial manufacturers in La Vergne, opening their facility in 1971, one year before the city was incorporated. While we are sad to see them go, we are committed to continuing our work with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and other partners to bring new, high quality industrial and commercial businesses to La Vergne.“
