Bandag Shuttering Quebec Tread Plant

(Akron/Tire Review) Bandag Inc. says it will close its Shawinigan, Quebec, tread rubber plant by the end of June. The move will impact 51 employees there. The company said the move comes because the plant has the “lowest product output of Bandag’s North American plants,” and the company concluded that its capacity needs can be met by the other plants. Bandag said it “remains fully committed to its Canadian dealers, fleet customers and the Canadian marketplace.”

Shawinigan was built in 1967 and was chosen because of its access to both the Canadian and commonwealth markets. Bandag-Canada was the first plant to be built outside of Muscatine, Iowa and the first to be built from scratch.