A new tire manufacturing plant in Clinton is expected to add 2500 jobs to Mississippi's economy. MPB's Ashley Norwood reports on a new training center to develop new employees.
Samuel Williams is a recent hire. He explains the purpose for each different room in the Continental Tire Training Center.
Williams is a 24-year-old Jackson resident. He says securing a high-tech manufacturing job close to home is important.
"Great job. Great opportunity. Especially for me starting young. Got my whole life ahead of me. Got my head on the right shoulders for now. It's all good right now," said Williams.
Governor Phil Bryant helped push for an incentive package worth hundreds of millions of dollars that helped bring the plant to Clinton. He says the 23,000 square foot training facility will help keep young Mississippians working in the state.
"Young students want a good job. They want to work at something that they have some certainty in. Most of this will be robotic. It'll be vertical integration. It'll be automation so probably will never touch the tire this is a modern advanced facility and they want to work here," said Bryant.
Michael Egner is the Project Manager at the plant in Clinton. He says they expect to create at least 2500 jobs for Mississippians over the next decade.
"Right now we have a little bit over 30 people. We will hire another 30-40 until end of the year. And then next year we ramp it up to one hundred, year after 400. And everybody needs to be on board and be trained and that's basically why we have this beautiful facility," said Egner.
More information is at continental-jobs.com.
