Bridgestone Americas announced Thursday that it's slashing 700 Tennessee jobs to "optimize its business footprint."

The La Vergne plant's last day will be July ... Bridgestone has been a significant economic partner to both Nashville and Middle Tennessee." Currently, there are about 87,000 manufacturing jobs ...

Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas will shut down its longtime tire plant in La Vergne in July. That decision alone erases 700 hourly and salaried roles, in addition to other "workforce reductions in the company’s U.S. corporate, sales and operations," according to a company statement.

Several Middle Tennessee communities have been blindsided by corporations shutting down plants and distribution centers. In all, more than a thousand Tennesseans are losing their jobs.

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Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas plans to shutter its La Vergne tire plant later this ... foundation of premium tire business." This is Tennessee's third major layoff of the year thus far ...