German Michelin plant manager given Europe-wide responsibility

The plant manager of Michelin’s Homburg truck tyre factory in Germany is to take on responsibility for all 18 of the manufacturer’s European truck tyre plants; as of November, Jürgen John will transfer to the French manufacturer’s head office in Clermont-Ferrand to assume this new role.

In an article published in regional newspaper the “Saarbrücker Zeitung“, the appointment is described as “a rapid and large career jump” for the 51-year old plant manager. “The timing [of this] also came as a surprise to me,” he told the paper. “Normally people stay for three to five years in a position at a particular location. I consider this a great challenge and a considerable honour.”

John was appointed plant manager at Homburg in June 2009; prior to this he was employed in a position in Hungary. His successor as Homburg plant manager is Dr. Lisa Janzen, who is currently plant manager of the French tyre maker’s factory in Karlsruhe, Germany. The official handover of duties will take place on October 14.

The Saarbrücker Zeitung notes that John took over the Homburg truck tyre plant during the middle of the recession. Although working hours were in some cases reduced, he succeeded in guiding the facility through this crisis without laying off any employees. In the meantime the workforce has again grown and today 1,230 employees and 100 contract staff work at the Homburg plant. Last year the Homburg factory produced 880,000 tyres, the newspaper added; during the course of this year Michelin plans to manufacture up to a million tyres there.