Life4Tyres plans to open a $46 million processing plant at the Port of South Louisiana, state economic development officials recently announced
With offices in Ireland and Spain, Life4Tyres Group Ltd. said it plans to start construction of its first U.S. location at the end of the year, with commercial operations starting in spring 2026.
CEO Tilen Milicevic said; “A strong industrial ecosystem, the availability of qualified personnel and suppliers, excellent connectivity, abundance of feedstock and proximity of our final clients are just a few of the many reasons why Life4Tyres Group, following a thorough market study, decided for Louisiana to be home to our first investment in the U.S.”
The recycling and manufacturing plant will convert end-of-life tyres into high-quality sustainable commodities such as advanced biofuel feedstock, recovered carbon black, which can be used to strengthen rubber, and scrap steel. The company expects to create 46 direct new jobs in St. John the Baptist Parish as a result.
“This new project is a perfect example of the power of the ports to drive investment and job creation in Louisiana,” Gov. Jeff Landry said. “In addition to the tremendous impact this foreign investment will have on the state and local economies, Life4Tyres will support Louisiana-based oil and gas and petroleum chemical companies with high-quality sustainable commodities that help them achieve their carbon management goals.”
Louisiana’s facility is part of a broader global expansion plan by the company, which recently opened a plant in Puertollano, Spain, and plans to expand in Ecuador and Japan.
The state of Louisiana offered an incentives package that includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart, according to the training centre. It also includes a $1 million performance-based grant that will be used for site improvements. The company is also expected to participate in Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programmes.
The openness of the Port of South Louisianna towards this project is somewhat of a contrast to the reaction to a similar project by SOBE in Youngstown, Ohio.
