GREENVILLE, S.C. - Michelin North America announced plans Tuesday to expand facilities in four South Carolina counties, investing $350 million over the next four years that will create about 100 new jobs.

The company will split the money between plants in Anderson, Greenville, Lexington and Spartanburg counties and increase its workers statewide to nearly 9,000.

Jim Micali, chairman and president of Michelin's North American operations, credited the expansions to an incentives package passed by the Legislature in June. Part of the legislation was aimed at Michelin by allowing tax credits for manufacturers with at least 5,000 full-time employees and $2 billion investment in the state.

Without the incentives, the investments could have gone anywhere in the world, Micali said. He declined to break down the money and jobs by county.

Michelin, which built its first modern U.S. plant in Greenville in 1975, has 7,850 employees and 2,650 retirees in 37 of the state's 46 counties. In the past 30 years, the company has invested $2.1 billion in South Carolina, said company spokeswoman Lynn Mann.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Mark Sanford planned a news conference in Barnwell County to make an economic development announcement.

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