Manufacturing companies find fertile ground in South Carolina: companies like Bridgestone...

Bridgestone Firestone North America Tire announced in December that it will invest at least $33 million in its Aiken, S.C., tire plant during the next four years in order to add new production equipment and retool existing equipment.

Combined with its announcement earlier last year of a $17 million plant upgrade, the company will invest at least $50 million in the Aiken facility over the next five years. Recently, the plant added a new mixer, modified its tire assembly system and hired 36 new employees.

"By investing more than $50 million over five years we a