Michelin to invest £50 million in UK manufacturing sites

Michelin Tyre PLC has announced that Michelin Group has agreed to invest up to £50 million in its UK manufacturing sites at Ballymena, Dundee and Stoke-on-Trent over the next six years. This investment plan will be supported by grants from the UK and Scottish governments and will help the company increase production capacity and help secure employment at all three of its UK production sites. Implementation of these plans has already begun at Dundee with the hiring of 140 people to fill newly created positions and the construction of a building extension to house new production equipment. In Stoke work has also commenced with the conversion of an existing building, ahead of the installation of new state-of-the-art equipment for the manufacture of the latest generation Michelin Remix truck tyres.

Speaking of the investment, Eric Le Corre, Michelin UK’s managing director said: “We are extremely excited about this planned investment as it shows that the Michelin Group is firmly committed to the future of tyre manufacturing in the UK, and underlines our desire to strengthen the future commercial presence of Michelin in the UK. As the biggest employer in the UK tyre manufacturing industry it is not only great news for Michelin but also for the UK economy, and especially for the communities around our plants. The importance of this six-year investment plan is reinforced by the fact that both the UK and Scottish governments have agreed to support this initiative with grants and we look forward working with them to re-establish the UK’s position as a major force in global manufacturing.”

Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister, said: “This commitment to Dundee by Michelin is a resounding vote of confidence for the staff at the plant, who can now look forward with confidence to a bright future making the next generation of fuel efficient tyres. Assisted by RSA funding from Scottish Enterprise, Michelin has already begun transforming the Dundee factory…Michelin’s investment in Dundee has now secured the future of this great manufacturing plant, creating 140 new jobs and ensuring the excellent work of the apprentice training centre on site can continue for many years to come.”

He continued: “I am delighted to see that many of the new jobs already created by the firm have been aimed at women, with a recent open day proving a great success as Michelin seeks to diversify its workforce yet further. All of the workers here in Dundee have worked incredibly hard to ensure this project goes ahead, and today will be an extremely proud day for every member of staff.”