Pirelli’s board has approved a roughly $1.2 billion expansion of its tire plant in Rome, Georgia, a multi-year program expected to create about 1,000 jobs. Announced on September 22, 2026, the Pirelli Rome plant expansion is scheduled to begin in 2027 and reach full operation in 2033, lifting annual output at the Floyd County site to around 6 million car tires.
The investment is valued at approximately €1 billion by the Milan-based parent, Pirelli & C. S.p.A., while the City of Rome puts the figure at $1.213 billion. Governor Brian Kemp’s office described the Pirelli Rome plant expansion as one of the largest economic development investments in northwest Georgia’s history. The company opened the Rome facility in 2002 as its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing base, and it currently employs 234 people in the state. According to local reporting, that original campus cost about $140 million and covered 400,000 square feet on 120 acres.
Pirelli Rome Plant Expansion to Unfold in Two Robotized Phases
The Pirelli Rome plant expansion will be delivered in two stages, according to the board announcement published by Pirelli. In the first, the company will scale up robotized production using the newest version of MIRS, its proprietary Modular Integrated Robotized System.
Output from those MIRS lines is expected to rise gradually from 2028 until it reaches 3 million tires a year. Pirelli describes the system as a set of autonomous modular robots designed to build its High Value tires.
The second stage adds a fully automated conventional production facility dedicated to premium products. At full operation, it is projected to contribute a further 3 million tires a year.
Taken together, the Pirelli Rome plant expansion would multiply capacity roughly thirteenfold. The City of Rome says the site currently turns out about 450,000 tires a year. Six million tires is enough to put a full set of four on 1.5 million cars annually.
Furthermore, Pirelli said the project will not affect its 2026 financial targets. The company expects its capital spending relative to revenue over 2027 to 2033 to stay broadly in line with earlier periods.
Pirelli Rome Plant Expansion Hinged on Cyber Tyre Clearance
Central to the Pirelli Rome plant expansion is Cyber Tyre, a sensor-equipped tire that feeds data to a vehicle’s onboard electronics. Because it qualifies as connected vehicle technology, its U.S. prospects were clouded by Pirelli’s ownership structure.
China’s state-owned Sinochem holds 34.1% of Pirelli and has been its largest shareholder since 2015. U.S. rules restricting Chinese links in sensitive automotive components left the tiremaker exposed, with hardware prohibitions due to take effect from the 2029 model year.
In response, Italy’s government invoked its golden power provisions in spring 2026. The ruling capped Sinochem’s board nominees at three, barred them from serving as chairman or chief executive, and required at least two to be independent of the Chinese group.
Following those governance changes, Pirelli said it secured authorization from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security to market Cyber Tyre in the United States. The company had already announced in May that Cyber Tyre production would move to Rome.
Even so, the Pirelli Rome plant expansion did not pass unanimously. The board approved the plan by majority, with Sinochem-linked directors Zhang Haitao, Xi Xiaohong and Wang Kun voting against it.
Pirelli Rome Plant Expansion to Quintuple Local Workforce
The roughly 1,000 new positions would bring Pirelli’s Georgia headcount to about five times its current level. In addition, the City of Rome reports an average annual wage of $56,987 for the new roles.
Most of the hiring is expected to begin in 2029, once the traditional manufacturing line comes online. On that timeline, the first MIRS lines are expected to be running for roughly a year before the plant’s labor needs step up sharply.
Pirelli North America CEO Claudio Zanardo said the project reinforces the company’s “local for local” strategy of building tires close to U.S. customers. Maureen Kline, Pirelli Tire North America’s vice president of public affairs and sustainability, said the company weighed other locations before settling on Rome.
Meanwhile, Senior Regional Project Manager Lori Dowdy led the state’s work on the deal for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The agency partnered with the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority, Georgia Quick Start and Georgia Power. “It’s exciting to have 1,000 jobs coming our way,” said Development Authority Chair Jimmy Byars. Details of any incentive package have not been publicly disclosed.
That training pipeline is already serving another fast-growing automotive employer, as Hyundai Motor Group’s Georgia projects draw on the same state workforce programs. The Bryan County EV plant that CRO covered when the Hyundai Motor Metaplant project broke ground in Georgia built its first vehicle in October 2024 and held its grand opening in March 2025. Closer to Rome, the Hyundai and SK On battery joint venture in Bartow County began cell production in June 2026 to supply that plant, and it is reported to employ about 3,500 people as it ramps toward 35 GWh of annual capacity.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Pirelli Rome Plant Expansion
- Owner and Developer: Pirelli & C. S.p.A., through Pirelli Tire North America
- Location: 100 Pirelli Drive, Rome, Floyd County, Georgia, USA
- Project Type: Expansion of an existing tire manufacturing plant
- Project Value: About €1 billion (approximately $1.2 billion); $1.213 billion per the City of Rome
- Existing Facility: Opened 2002; about 400,000 sq ft on 120 acres (local reporting)
- Current Capacity: About 450,000 tires per year (City of Rome)
- Target Capacity: About 6 million car tires per year, including Cyber Tyre
- Phasing: Phase 1, MIRS robotized lines reaching 3 million tires per year from 2028; Phase 2, fully automated conventional facility adding 3 million tires per year
- Construction Start: 2027
- Target Completion: 2033
- Permanent Jobs: About 1,000 new, on top of 234 existing
- Average Wage: $56,987 (City of Rome)
- Incentives: Not publicly disclosed
- Regulatory Framework: Italian golden power limits on Sinochem’s governance role; U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security authorization to market Cyber Tyre
Project Team
Owner and Developer
- Owner and Developer: Pirelli & C. S.p.A. / Pirelli Tire North America
- Largest Shareholder: Sinochem
Public Bodies and Economic Development
- State Announcement: Office of the Governor of Georgia
- State Economic Development Lead: Georgia Department of Economic Development
- Local Economic Development Partner: Rome-Floyd County Development Authority
- Workforce Training Partner: Georgia Quick Start
- County Government: Floyd County Board of Commissioners
- City Government: City of Rome
Utilities and Regulators
- Utility Partner: Georgia Power
- U.S. Export and Technology Regulator: Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Golden Power Authority: Italian Government
Delivery Team
- Architect and Engineer: Not publicly disclosed
- General Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
Related Projects
- Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America: HMGMA
- Parent Company: Hyundai Motor Group
- Battery Joint Venture Partner: SK On
- Host County, Metaplant: Bryan County
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