Michelin resuming activity ‘gradually’

The news that Michelin is reopening its UK retreading operation forms part of Michelin Group’s wider European and international reopening policy. From the start of the epidemic, the Michelin had stated that its number one concern has been to protect the health and safety of its employees and those close to them.

However, on 21 April 2020, Michelin Group decided to “to gradually resume activity while implementing reinforced health measures adapted to each site”, with managing partner Florent Menegaux stating:

“It is our duty to show our employees that we are providing them with a safe work environment. All sites must be capable of supplying their staff with masks, hand sanitizer, soap and medical thermometers while regularly disinfecting the premises and work spaces.”

From the onset, the Group became involved in developing personal protective equipment solutions for both health workers and its own personnel. In doing so, it made sure it would be ready to provide masks to all its employees when business resumed.

For Michelin, the challenge is not only to meet the foremost needs of public service entities and populations, but also to continue serving its markets and contribute, with others, to reopening the economy, “without ever trading off economic activity against the absolute priority of our employees’ health,” said Menegaux.

Michelin’s plant in Troyes, France, which specialises in the production of tyres for farm machinery, is one of the sites whose activity helps to maintain the agricultural machinery used to grow and harvest the cereals, fruit and vegetables we consume every day.

Other Group plants that manufacture tyres for public service vehicles (ambulances, fire fighters, police and army) and transport fleets are in a similar position, while home delivery services also need tyres and associated servicing facilities.

“We have a further commitment to the customers who use our products as original equipment, so they, too, can continue to operate,” added Mr. Menegaux.

Thanks to reinforced on-site health measures, and depending on local government legislation, the Michelin Group is consequently in a position where it can gradually ramp its activities back up. “The successful re-launch of our activities in China, combined with Michelin’s extremely strong culture of work safety, form a solid foundation for this to happen,” concluded Florent Menegaux.