Three Millionth Michelin Aircraft Tyre Produced by MATC

Employees at the Michelin Aircraft Tire Company (MATC) facility in North Carolina, USA recently took time out from their normal tyre building operations to celebrate the production of the plant’s three millionth aircraft tyre.

“The production of the three millionth tyre is an important milestone for everyone here at Norwood,” said facility manager Randy Stroman. “Everyone enjoyed a week-long celebration that included giveaways, promotions and an opportunity for each employee to sign the tyre.”

The tyres produced at the Norwood factory in North Carolina are sizeable objects, weighing anything up to 160kg and able to carry up to 1,000 times its own mass – a passenger car tyre carries an average of 50 times its own mass.

The factory is the sole tyre supplier to the NASA Space Shuttle. MATC equips the shuttle with Michelin Air tyres, a line of tyres first introduced for the general aviation market in 1992. In addition to the Shuttle tyres, Norwood produces aircraft tyres for every type of aircraft including military, commercial, general aviation, corporate and regional applications. The facility employs 360 and was established in 1986.