Bridgestone will invest an additional $180 million in its Wilson passenger tyre manufacturing facility in North Carolina. This investment follows the $164 million expansion, which was announced January 2016. The company said the $180 million will go to a new rubber mixer and a 50,000 square foot (4,645 square metre) building to house it. The money will also be used to fund new manufacturing processes and technologies at the facility. Groundbreaking for the building is expected in the spring of 2017 with start of production expected in autumn 2018. Bridgestone said the expansion will assist it in meeting global demand for higher rim diameter tyres. Combined with the previous $164 million, the investment will add manufacturing space to accommodate new tyre assembly machines, materials handling systems, curing presses and associated equipment. Plant capacity is expected to increase by 3,000 tyres per day. The company said by 2018, daily production should reach 35,000 tyres. The plant currently covers 2.5 million square feet.