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Tire-testing facility raises hopes of attracting auto plant to area
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Published: August 28, 2009
A new tire-testing facility planned for the Charlotte region could help develop technology that's crucial for consumer safety -- and could be another step toward luring auto plants, local officials said Thursday.
James Cuttino, an engineer and director of the N.C. Motorsports and Automotive Research Center at UNC Charlotte, plans to take leave from the university to launch the company, called Camber Ridge.
The new testing facility, which officials say would be the first of its kind in the world, is still in the planning phase. Developers have not selected a site, and while Cuttino is "already pretty far advanced" in securing financial commitments from tire and auto manufacturers, he declined to say who has contributed and how much. Cuttino hopes to have all commitments in six to eight months, he said. Once those details are complete and the site is chosen, it could take two years to build the facility. Officials hope to open by early 2012.
Cuttino, along with former Lowe's Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler and Ronnie Bryant, president of the public-private Charlotte Regional Partnership, made the announcement at the NASCAR Plaza in uptown Charlotte.
Cuttino has spent the last 18 months researching tire-testing capabilities worldwide, he said. He found that, while most tire and carmakers have in-house testing facilities, few have the ability -- or the money -- to do everything they wanted there.
High-level researchers at the new testing facility can study tire safety, wear and energy efficiency issues faster and cheaper than if a company or university pursued the effort alone, he said. Much of the work will be computer-based; it won't necessarily require building a large, expensive test track, Cuttino said.
He plans to pool resources from manufacturers to develop a world-class facility, based on what the clients say they need. Companies who want to participate will contribute dollars in exchange for use of the new facility, he said. The project could eventually seek state tax incentives as it narrows down possible locations, Cuttino said.
It's unclear what the immediate economic impact will be. Initially, the testing facility will provide 15 to 20 upper-level jobs, Cuttino said.
But Camber Ridge is part of a larger vision: Officials say it will be a crucial step in the state's efforts to land an auto plant.
While other Southern states have been successful in attracting auto plants, no major car manufacturers have moved to North Carolina. BMW has a large plant in Greer, S.C., 90 miles southwest of Charlotte.
State officials are committed to expanding the industry, N.C. Department of Commerce spokesman Charles Winkler said Thursday.
He said the state was "aggressively targeting auto-related manufacturers," but he declined to comment on specific recruitment efforts.
In addition to leading truck manufacturers, such as Daimler and Mack, there is an extensive network of automotive suppliers statewide, making the state attractive to manufacturers, Commerce Department officials said in a 2008 report. There's also a heavy motorsports presence, a skilled workforce and universities and community colleges with automotive programs, making North Carolina "a place where these companies can prosper," the report said.
Roughly a quarter of the state's manufacturing employment is tied to motor vehicles, including cars, buses and heavy trucks.
Wheeler said the auto industry is moving south, away from Detroit's abandoned plants, and Charlotte should be able to capitalize. The more testing facilities like Camber Ridge, the better positioned the region is to attract auto plants, he said.
Philip Morris USA's Concord plant, which closed last month, could be easily converted to an assembly plant, Wheeler said.
"The answer to turning the economy around in this area is innovation and creativity," he said.
Interest in the testing facility is already growing because of a new federal mandate that requires all cars produced beginning in 2011 to have Electronic Stability Control devices, which automatically apply brakes to one side of the car to prevent it from rolling or spinning out of control, officials said.
The new rule, which could prevent hundreds of thousands of accidents, will also require more compliance testing for cars and tires -- and thus, more business for Camber Ridge.
In addition, there's a new federal rule being implemented that requires "significant new testing" to determine and rate tires' fuel efficiency, said Dan Zielinski, spokesman for the national Rubber Manufacturers Association.
He wasn't aware of the Camber Ridge effort but said he didn't know of any other facilities like it. Most tire manufacturers have their own testing equipment, though there are two independent companies who offer outside testing, he said.
Zielinski said it seemed to make sense to approach manufacturers to partner on a larger-scale facility.
In addition to consumer safety and fuel efficiency, Camber Ridge will be able to serve motorsports companies, studying the way tires affect race cars, officials said.
Much of the motorsports industry is based in the Charlotte region, with 90 percent of NASCAR teams headquartered within 50 miles of Charlotte.
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