Bridgestone Americas broke ground on a $51 million expansion of its Firestone Industrial Products' (FSIP) air springs production facility in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The 68,000-square-foot expansion of the Williamsburg Plant is aimed at meeting growing demand for the company's air springs products, driven by the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) sector. The expansion, expected to be completed by December 2022, will add 250 new jobs, a nearly 50% increase from the more than 500 employees working today at the facility. FSIP is a leading global supplier of air suspensions for the EV industry. Firestone air suspensions not only help improve ride comfort and handling, but also can increase electric vehicle range and help protect batteries from road impact and overheating. This new chapter was born from a decades' long history of designing and supplying parts to the majority of commercial vehicle manufacturers in North America. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has supplied product to keep these essential services providers moving. Its products include Ride-Rite™, Airide™, Airide™ Pro, Airogear™ and Marsh Mellow™ air springs. FSIP designs, tests and manufactures components for air suspensions in Williamsburg, Kentucky, which is the only full U.S. manufacturer of this product category. FSIP operates a second plant, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, where air springs are assembled. FSIP's North America Advanced Technical Design Center, in Fishers, Indiana, enables the company to remain agile and focus on speed to market, a key requirement of start-up EV companies. The company also operates plants in Brazil, China, Costa Rica and Poland.