Governor Laura Kelly Celebrates Goodyear Tire Investing $125 Million in Topeka, Adding 40 New Jobs

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.’s decision to invest $125 million and hire 40 new employees at its Topeka plant as part of modernizing its Kansas facility, which has been in operation since 1945.

This announcement comes during Governor Kelly’s ‘Prosperity On The Plains’ tour promoting economic development.

“Goodyear’s expansion shows that our laser-like focus on creating jobs and supporting manufacturers benefits Kansans across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Now, 40 more Kansans will have quality jobs and $125 million will be brought into our communities, reinforcing our state’s ability to compete – and win – in the global marketplace.”

Goodyear, one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, relies on the Topeka plant and its approximately 1,600 associates to be a primary location for commercial and off-highway vehicle tire production. Improvements to the plant are expected to generate a local economic impact of $480 million over 10 years.

“Our Topeka facility is integral to our operations,” said Tim Davis, manufacturing director for Goodyear-Topeka, “and this investment will help position Goodyear to continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

A spokesperson for Goodyear said the majority of the anticipated new jobs will be positions related to production and technical maintenance.

“We have worked closely with Goodyear for nearly a year to make the case for this investment happening in Topeka,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Building a robust Kansas economy through private sector investment is a top priority of Governor Kelly and this announcement shows that this focus is paying off for Topeka and our state.”

Goodyear officials said the company “very much appreciates support from Governor Kelly and the State of Kansas in helping make possible investments in the Goodyear-Topeka tire plant.” Last week, Topeka and Shawnee County’s Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) board approved an incentive agreement to assist the Goodyear project. In a press release, JEDO Chair Aaron Mays said: “This company has a long history in our community and continues to impact and help grow the Topeka/Shawnee County economy.”