Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Continental Tire spent $228,300 in November, a spending report from the German-based corporation shows. The tire plant, opening just off Interstate 20 in Hinds County outside Clinton, will eventually hire 2,500 employees once the plant has reached the projected size around 2020.

Local contractors have plenty of business opportunities on the massive plant site. Georgia-based company Brad Cole Construction received the first large contract in October 2016—to clear and grub the almost-1,000-acre site. The November spending report shows that Cole has subcontracted with six local operators.

Then in November, Continental Tire spent $228,300 for local lodging, equipment rentals and surveying with local companies, including BlueLine Rental in Pearl, Puckett Rentals in Richland and United Rentals in Flowood. The report did not list any expenditures for a Jackson-based business.

Kathryn Blackwell, vice president of communications and marketing for Continental Tire North America, told the Jackson Free Press in October that her company wants to hire Mississippi companies for upcoming contracts. Those bids, however, must be competitive and meet certain compliance measures, she said.

The next contract open for proposals is the design and building of the tire training center in March 2017. Contractors can register their companies online to be considered for future contracts at Mississippi.org/continental, but out-of-state companies can and are still competing for the same contracts.

Continental Tire will invest $1.45 billion in the Hinds County tire plant, the largest investment in the corporation's history. The State gave ample incentives to the company in the form of bonds and tax breaks that equal close to $600 million, an Associated Press analysis shows. Continental has awarded two contracts so far: one to Brad Cole Construction and another to Embellished Events & Interiors, a female- and African American-owned business based in Madison. Embellished Events & Interiors hosted the corporation's groundbreaking ceremony in November.

Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at [email protected]. Follow her at @arielle_amara for breaking news.