IN SPORTS: Wilson Hall golf looks to continue winning ways in region B1 IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!
Readers’ Choice WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015
| Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894
You’re invited on a Nature Walk
75 cents
SEE OUR AD ON B6 FOR DETAILS
Continental rolls toward expansion Sumter plant will double capacity by 2021 BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Continental Tire the Americas plans to double the capacity of its Sumter plant by 2021, Sumter plant manager Craig Baartman told Sumter Rotary Club on Monday. “We currently have a capacity of 4 million tires (per year), which will take us to 2017 with a plan to get to 8 million by 2021,” he said. “We have more BAARTMAN than 1 million square feet under roof at the moment on over 500 acres of land, which means plenty of space for expansion.” Baartman said a lot has happened in the three years since Continental came to Sumter. “We have been hiring fast and furiously over the last few years; we currently have
PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM
A cormorant dries its wings while standing on the trunk of a bald cypress tree in Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on Monday morning during USC Sumter environmental biology professor Austin Jenkins’ Nature Walk. One more Nature Walk will be held at the gardens on April 13 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The walk will be free and open to the public. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes and binoculars. Jenkins explains the pollination process of holly bushes during Monday’s walk. Participants learned about local plants and animals and their interactions at the gardens.
about 625 employees on board, and we will be hiring about another 200 before the end of the year, which will take us to about 825,” he said. The growth of the operation in Sumter reflects the company’s growth around the world. He said Continental Tire, which is headquartered in Hanover, Germany, has sales in excess of $37 billion and is nearing 200,000 employees worldwide. “Three or four years ago, we only had 140,000 or 150,000 employees, so we are growing exponentially,” Baartman said. “We have 317 locations in 50 different countries, so it truly is an international company.” He said Continental makes more than tires, including automotive interior and power train parts and hoses and belts for industrial applications.
SEE PLANT, PAGE A6
Help AmeriCorps team build trail’s boardwalk Wateree Passage project will include 2 workdays
invited to work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on these workdays. Volunteers are asked to dress appropriately, wear closed-toed shoes or boots and bring work FROM STAFF REPORTS gloves, water and a bagged lunch. COLUMBIA — You’re invitLumber, materials, tools ed to help an AmeriCorps Naand equipment are funded tional Civilian Community through grants to PCF from Corps team that will be lendSCE&G, Cox Ining a hand to dustries and Kenbuild an elevated dall Foundation. boardwalk on the LEARN MORE The 7.2-mile Wateree Passage For more information on Wateree Passage of the Palmetto the Palmetto Trail and to begins in PoinTrail. find maps, check out sett State Park The team will Palmetto Conservation and runs to the work on the Foundation’s website at Wateree River, boardwalk from www.palmettoconservation. crossing through April 15 through org or its Facebook page Manchester State May 12, accordat www.facebook.com/ Forest and along ing to a news repalmettoconservation. the old S.C. Raillease from Palmetto Conservaroad bed to the tion Foundation Wateree River. and Manchester State Forest. The environment crossed by PCF will host trail workdays the passage comprises a varion Saturday, April 18, and Sat- ety of landscapes, from urday, May 2. PCF members and Palmetto Trail friends are SEE BOARDWALK, PAGE A4
U.S. will slow troop withdrawal from Afghanistan WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama announced Tuesday that the U.S. will slow its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, maintaining 9,800 troops in the country through the end of 2015 instead of cutting the number
VISIT US ONLINE AT
the
.com
by about half as originally planned. “Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place,” Obama said in explaining his decision at a press conference after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s first visit to
the White House since his election six months ago. Obama added that the size of the U.S. troop presence for 2016 will be decided later this year. Ghani had asked Obama to slow the withdrawal because
CONTACT US
DEATHS, B7
Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1237 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News and Sports: 774-1226
James Witherspoon Marian G. Wright Dawn P. Andrews Elizabeth Hilton Dr. Charles W. Long
Afghan security forces are bracing for a tough spring fighting season and are also contending with Islamic State fighters looking to recruit on their soil. The original plan was to cut the U.S. force to 5,500 by the
end of this year. Obama said he still intends to complete the drawdown by the end of 2016 and that the U.S. transition out of a combat role has not changed.
SEE TROOPS, PAGE A4
WEATHER, A8
INSIDE
NICE WEDNESDAY
3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 135
Clouds and sun today; a few late-night showers are possible HIGH 74, LOW 62
Classifieds B8 Comics C6 Food C8 Lotteries A8
Opinion A7 Panorama C1 Television C7