ROME, GA — Pirelli has approved a roughly $1.2 billion expansion of its tire factory in Rome, Georgia, setting up one of the company’s biggest U.S. manufacturing commitments. The project is expected to add about 1,000 jobs and push annual output to roughly 6 million tires by 2033.
The work is scheduled to start in 2027 and unfold over several years. Pirelli says the investment will strengthen its American operations while expanding production of higher-end products rather than everyday tires.
Two phases will reshape the Rome factory
The company says the expansion will happen in two stages. First, it will enlarge robotized production using the latest version of its Modular Integrated Robotized System, known as MIRS.
That portion of the project is expected to start adding capacity in 2028 and eventually reach 3 million tires a year. Pirelli then plans to build a separate, fully automated conventional production line that can make another 3 million tires annually.
Together, the two operations would bring the Rome site to a total capacity of about 6 million tires a year. The company has not said when the final phase will be completed beyond the broader 2033 timeline.
Premium tires and Cyber Tire will be the focus
Pirelli says the Georgia plant will concentrate on premium, technology-oriented products instead of mass-market tires. That includes its connected Cyber Tire system, which uses sensors built into the tire itself.
Those sensors can track conditions such as air pressure and how the tire is interacting with the road. Pirelli says the system can also help a vehicle recognize hydroplaning before it becomes a serious problem.
The company says the product has only recently become legal to market in the United States. That makes the Rome expansion especially important as Pirelli looks to grow a category that depends on advanced manufacturing and connected-car technology.
The U.S. market is driving the business case
Pirelli says the United States is the world’s largest market for what it calls high-value tires, accounting for about 40 percent of global volume in that segment. The company sees the Rome investment as a way to serve that market more directly.
The move also reflects a broader effort to work around tariffs and reduce dependence on imported products. By producing more tires in Georgia, Pirelli can employ American workers while keeping more of its supply chain closer to its customers.
That strategy fits the company’s emphasis on premium tires, where buyers are often willing to pay more for advanced performance and specialized features. It also gives Pirelli a stronger domestic manufacturing base at a time when supply-chain issues remain a concern.
Georgia plant has been part of Pirelli since 2002
Pirelli has operated in Georgia since 2002, and the Rome factory has become a key piece of its U.S. footprint. The latest investment would make the site one of the company’s most important manufacturing hubs in the country.
The company points to supply-chain resilience and its “local-for-local” strategy as central reasons for the expansion. Those priorities have become increasingly important for automakers and suppliers that want products built closer to the people buying them.
For Rome and the surrounding area, the project could bring a major boost in employment and industrial activity. For Pirelli, it marks a long-term bet that its most advanced tires should be built where demand is strongest.
What the expansion means for workers and customers
If the project proceeds as planned, the Rome factory will add roughly 1,000 jobs while greatly increasing its production capacity. The new work would support both the robotized MIRS expansion and the separate conventional manufacturing line.
For U.S. customers, the biggest change may be where some of Pirelli’s most advanced tires are made. The company is positioning the Georgia site to produce more of the premium products that American drivers and automakers are already buying in large numbers.
The expansion also shows how closely manufacturing decisions are tied to market size, technology and trade conditions. In Pirelli’s case, those factors all point to making more tires in Georgia.