Bekaert closing Figline-Valdarno factory
Bekaert Group is closing its rubber reinforcement entity in Figline e Incisa Valdarno, Italy and cease all activities there.
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Last tyre made in Michelin’s Ballymena plant
Production at the Michelin tyre plant in Ballymena, Northern Ireland came to an end last week. Although the facility won’t officially close until 30 June, The Belfast Telegraph writes that production ended last Wednesday, with the final tyre finished the following day.
Michelin Ballymena site to be turned into business park following factory closure
Michelin has announced plans to convert part of the site of its closing Northern Ireland manufacturing plant to a business park following its sale to Silverwood Property Developments. The tyre manufacturer will complete the closure of its Ballymena plant in June, after the last tyre rolls off its production line in April, ending 50 years of manufacturing. Some of the site – reportedly around 10 acres – has been earmarked for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, as it attempts to win its bid to host a regional Heathrow Logistics Hub, supporting proposed construction work at the West London airport.
Tyre production ends in Goodyear’s Philippsburg plant
In May, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany stated it would cease production at its Philippsburg car and light commercial vehicle tyre factory by the end of July. The end came a fortnight before this self-imposed deadline. The last regular shift within the plant went to work last Friday – employee union BCE comments that production ended earlier than planned due to “a labour shortage.”
Kenya’s Sameer transferring machinery to India
The Sameer Africa tyre plant in Nairobi, Kenya is being dismantled, with equipment being relocated to India, according to local news reports. This follows the cessation of production back in September 2016 following an announcement last June that that plant would close due to high competition from cheap imported tyres. The company did not specify if the equipment was being sold or used to establish manufacturing in India.
Goodyear, union agree terms for closure of Philippsburg factory in Germany
Last October Goodyear Dunlop announced plans to close its Philippsburg tyre plant in southern Germany, and these plans are now official: The tyre maker reports it has agreed to terms for a redundancy plan with the union representing the plant’s 880-strong workforce.
Orion to close French carbon black factory by end of 2016
On 18 August Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.’s French subsidiary, Orion Engineered Carbons SAS, reached an agreement with the Works Council and labour union at its Ambes, France facility on a comprehensive social plan. Following this agreement, the French subsidiary will “proceed to implement the restructuring and down staffing of that facility with cessation of production at the site expected by the end of 2016”.
Orion Engineered Carbons to close French carbon black factory
On 3 June Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., the carbon black manufacturer, said the management of its company in France (Orion Engineered Carbons SAS) had begun consultations with the Works Council at its Ambes, France facility in order to implement a restructuring and “down staffing” with “a potential cessation of production at the site by the end of 2016”. The French Orion plant employs approximately 40 people.
Michelin in talks over Ballymena settlement
Staff representatives and Michelin managers at the French tyre maker’s Ballymena, Northern Ireland truck tyre factory are discussing redundancy packages following the news that the factory is to close in mid-2018. Michelin representatives declined to comment on individual cases, but local press reports suggest particular offers have already been made.
Giti confirms Chongqing truck tyre plant closure
Giti Tire closed its Chongqing, China truck tyre factory in November 2015 the company has confirmed. This means that roughly 90 per cent of the plant’s 1,100 workers will lose or have already lost their jobs, leaving around 100 staff in work.
Conti closing former Goodyear Bowmanville
Continental AG’s ContiTech division is close the 100-year-old former Goodyear plant in Bowmanville, near Durham, North Carolina, USA in mid-2016. Workers were told the news on 13 November 2015. The Bowmanville plant makes conveyor belts for mining, coal and tar sands operations and has reportedly been hit by slowing demand from the global mining industry.
Why it’s too early to cry tyre-mageddon
On 3 November Michelin announced a series of pan-European tyre manufacturing restructuring plans designed to address the dual pressures from the on-going negative effects of the 2008 global financial crisis and the sharp increase of low-cost imports – especially in the truck and bus tyre segment. In short this means the closure of its Ballymena truck tyre plant, alongside investment in its Dundee and Stoke facilities; as well as the closure of its Pneu Laurent retreading operation in Germany; not to mention further significant investments and some closures in Michelin’s Italian tyre production plants.
Michelin closing Ballymena factory, investing in Dundee and Stoke-on-Trent
Michelin Tyre Plc is consulting on the closure of its Ballymena truck tyre factory at the same time as investing in the expansion of its Dundee car tyre and Stoke-on-Trent retreading sites. The Ballymena factory closure plans suggest the site will be run-down between now and a mid-2018 closure point. The Ballymena factory currently employs 860 people and Michelin says it is “committed to supporting those employees during consultation and in the forthcoming months”.
Goodyear confirms Wolverhampton plant closure
Goodyear Dunlop UK has confirmed the closure of its Wolverhampton retreading plant. Closure will happen on a phased basis. The first roles to be made redundant are likely to occur on 31 December 2015, with anticipated production at the plant ending no earlier than January 2017. “It is important to understand that no alternatives to the company’s proposal have been made”, company representatives wrote in a statement.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK MD on proposed closure of Wolverhampton plant
Following Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK’s proposal to close its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading facility, Tyrepress spoke to the managing director of Goodyear Dunlop UK, Erich Fric, who explained the business reasons for the decision. “We’ve taken the decision to put this proposal forward based on the economic environment, and in order to keep our companies competitive in the long term,” Fric said.
