Michelin Appoints New Factory Manager at Ballymena Site

Michelin has appointed a new factory manager to lead operations at its Ballymena plant. Wilton Crawford takes over from Graham Whitehurst and started his new post on 18 January 2010. With over 20 years of experience at Michelin – with a vast majority of that time spent at five different Michelin locations in the US – Crawford represents an international appointment and is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, Graham Whitehurst (who worked at the Ballymena site for over 12 years, the last five as plant manager) will now co-ordinated the company’s ‘Michelin Manufacturing Way’ programme, based in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

“Having spent a large degree of my working life in the US, I am delighted to be taking on this very important role in a European plant.  I am looking forward to continuing the success story we have here at Ballymena and leading the factory to further successes.  We do face some major challenges for 2010 given the current global economic climate, but I am confident we as a team here at Ballymena, will rise to that challenge and continue to deliver the quality, productivity and excellence that underpin all the work we do here at the Raceview Road site,” Wilton Crawford said.

Michelin’s Ballymena factory manufactures over 1.4 million truck and bus tyres each year, mostly for export.  Having opened in 1969, it celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and currently employs around 1000 people.