Michelin Canada to Produce Larger Sizes at Expanded Plant

According to sources at Michelin, the planned expansion of the company’s Bridgewater facility in Canada will create 48 new jobs and enable the plant to produce more complex designs and larger sizes in the Michelin passenger car and light commercial ranges. The tyremaker is investing CAD$44 million (£20.6 million) in the project and the province of Nova Scotia $6 million (£2.8 million). The upgrading project is due to be completed in 2009, and the new jobs will be introduced in stages as required.

Michelin’s plans for the Bridgewater plant have not been without controversy. In September 2006 Tyres & Accessories reported on comments made by a Canadian union leader that the expansions plans expose “the company’s long-term strategy to rid itself of unionised plants.” Paul Shrum, local president of the United Steelworkers in the district of Kitchener-Waterloo, stated that “unless someone takes them (Michelin) to task for this, there will be no unionised factories left in the Michelin chain.”