Michelin’s Dundee Expansion Gets Underway

Work has begun on Michelin’s £1.2 million extension of production facilities at its car tyre plant in Dundee, the Evening Telegraph and Post has reported. The project represents the first phase of a planned £4 million investment programme aimed at increasing the daily output of tyres from the Baldovie complex by 20 per cent by 2007. The new facility is due to become operational in October.

“The project which has started today will allow us to increase the total capacity of the factory,” said outgoing general manager Trish Bailey when she symbolically broke ground at the site. “It will help us achieve a higher level of productivity and to reduce costs. We are achieving this through investment.” Last year the plant produced 7.6 million passenger car tyres. The plan is that the new investment will see this figure rise to well over the 9 million mark, while reducing the costs of the production process at the same time.

Ms Bailey is leaving Dundee after more than three years as factory manager, for a position at Michelin’s headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Here she will take up a senior post as industrial director for the company’s worldwide agricultural tyre operations. Ms Bailey will be replaced by Trevor Haines who returns to the UK after working for Michelin in the US. Originally from Liverpool, Mr Haines has been with Michelin for more than 24 years and was manager of the company’s Stoke-on-Trent operations prior to his move to America in 2002.