Rolling Out Precision

PIRELLI Rolling Out PRECISION

Pirelli Tire North America is not just another international company that has found a home in Rome. Still, it is a cutting-edge manufacturer which always has its eyes on the future. After making Rome its North American manufacturing home two decades ago, Pirelli has become a key community partner in many ways.

Pirelli was one of the first corporate partners to commit to the Rome Floyd Chamber Rise & Thrive 2025 program. “I am confident the collaborative efforts and investment will help us with our workforce and infrastructure needs for years to come,” said Clay Cooper, Pirelli’s director of human resources.

In September of 2019, Pirelli was named a Global Impact LEAD company by the United Nations Global Compact and recognized among the most involved manufacturers participating in the worldwide sustainability initiative. The company has been a member of the compact since 2004.

The Pirelli Tire North America plant in Rome recently added another honor in becoming the first tire factory certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The certification means that Pirelli is sourcing natural rubber that did not cause deforestation, that farmers receive fair treatment, there are no human rights abuses, and much more.

Maureen Kline, vice president of public affairs and sustainability, thinks the urgency of taking better care of the environment has become necessary to industries within the automotive sector around the world. For example, the companies for which Pirelli provides tires are demanding environmental awareness, and Pirelli is passing that mandate down the line to its vendors as well.

“Rubber is certified on the ground and through a chain of custody that includes all who handle it,” Kline said. The certification for Pirelli came in conjunction with BMW, which will be using some of the newest tires to roll off the line in Rome. “It sounds like a niche, but it’s the way of the future,” Kline said. “Pirelli is consistently recognized as a forward-thinking company.” Kline believes that in the future, customers will want to trace virtually any part to discover if forced labor is involved anywhere in the process; that the mining done for metals has proceeded in an environmentally sensitive way. “This means certifying the entire chain of custody for everything.” Pirelli imports come from Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Pirelli is specific that the raw materials must be produced sustainably.

Pirelli is Rome and Floyd County’s largest user of the Georgia Ports Authority terminals at Savannah, bringing in and sending out more than 3,900 twenty-foot equivalent containers during Georgia’s Fiscal Year 2020.

The company took advantage of downtime last year to develop an entirely new line of all- season tires specifically for the crossover, SUV, and pick-up truck markets in the United States. Pirelli rolled out its new Scorpion AS+3 model just a couple of months ago. The tire features a new tread pattern and polymer compounds.

The tires are produced right here in Rome at the thoroughly automated plant, which uses a MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System), which turns out tires in a 72-minute process after an order is placed. The proprietary technology is the foundation of the Rome plant, which is kept immaculately.

The research and development team in the Rome factory is exceptionally active with developers of very futuristic vehicles, including electric cars.

The Rome Pirelli plant is poised to continue a pattern of growth for the future. Kline said the Rome plant is essential in the greater scheme of things because of its multiple partnerships and original equipment manufacturers.