Michelin has shared information about its negotiations with unions on 3 and 4 December regarding the planned closure of two factories in France. These negotiations aimed to outline a structured approach to supporting employees affected by forthcoming organisational changes.
On 3 and 4 December, Michelin management met with representatives from the unions CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labour), CFE-CGC (CEC European Managers), FO (Workers’ Force), and SUD (Solidarity Union) – collectively known as the ‘Intersyndicale’ – to negotiate the procedural framework for the proposed closure of its Vannes and Cholet tyre plants in France. As the CFDT reports, these discussions culminated in a draft agreement outlining key points for structuring the negotiations. This agreement, adds the union, should also ensure “employee support” throughout the process.
Apollo Tyres Ltd has signed a one-season shirt-sleeve sponsorship deal with AS Monaco, to enhance the visibility of its Vredestein Tyres brand. The collaboration is designed to drive awareness of Vredestein’s products “among a broad audience in France and internationally, leveraging Ligue 1’s status as the fifth most-watched football league globally”. The new sleeve branding will debut at AS Monaco’s home league match against Brest on 22 November.
More bad news for European tyre making has arrived in the form of Michelin’s decision to close its Cholet and Vannes plants in France by early 2026 at the latest. The company announced this planned measure to the two facilities’ 1,254 employees this morning. When added to the approximately 1,500 employees at three locations in Germany, where operations will cease by the end of 2025, Michelin has announced some 2,750 job cuts within Europe in the past year.
Honours for winners of the inaugural Michelin Challenge Cup Revival. At a presentation ceremony held on 27 July, Michelin and its competition partners bestowed awards and trophies upon competitors for achievements during a two-month long competition that aimed to recapture “the spirit of the pioneers of aviation by harking back to the Michelin Aviation Cup.” Conceived by André Michelin in 1908, the Michelin Aviation Cup pitted the first aviators in history against one another.
The Michelin Group and Continental have reached a settlement agreement regarding the commercialisation in France of the Continental 315/45R22.5 EcoPlus HD3 tyre, in relation to certain aspects of Michelin’s Infinicoil technology. Reporting the agreement between the two tyre makers, Michelin says matters have been settled to both its own and Continental’s “satisfaction.”
As a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Bridgestone Corporation says it is committed to supporting and enhancing the experience for athletes, staff, fans, and visitors at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The company is thus set to contribute a variety of tyres, services, and performance products in Paris.
Cosmos is the name Michelin has given to a new machine now operating at its Troyes plant in France. The tyre maker is using Cosmos in its agricultural tyre production and says that the machine, which takes into account factors such as size, weight and material technology, is “more efficient and more ergonomic” than prior technologies.
The Spanish automotive supplier sector billed 41,529 million euros in Spain during 2023, a 10.3 per cent increase over 2022. This represents a milestone in the local industry, breaking the 40 billion euro barrier for the first time.
In an operation that French newspaper Le Monde describes as “both spectacular and unprecedented,” investigators from three European countries carried out a series of raids against Goodyear today. The publication writes that the prosecutor in Besançon, France confirms this action, which took place just two months shy of the tenth anniversary of a fatal motorway crash involving a Goodyear Marathon LHS II truck tyre.
At the end of April 2024, ZC Rubber showcased its latest Westlake, Tianli and Yonggu branded off-the-road and industrial tyre and track products.At the end of April 2024, ZC Rubber showcased its latest Westlake, Tianli and Yonggu branded off-the-road and industrial tyre and track products.
On 15 April, Michelin, the CNRS, and the University of Strasbourg inaugurated the SpinLab associated research laboratory. This Strasbourg-based endeavour is dedicated to the study of the electrospinning process for the optimal production of nanofibrous materials. Over four years, these teams will collaborate to develop an innovative electrospinning platform, with the aim of creating novel and distinctive fibrous materials tailored for diverse applications, including tyres.
Reporting the official groundbreaking of a Collaborative Innovation Center at the company’s Cataroux site in France yesterday, the Michelin Group says the ceremony “marks a major milestone” in this innovation-focused project, which it considers the only one of its kind in Europe. Michelin and four other entities have spearheaded the project since 2020, investing 61 million euros in a facility that will serve as a nexus for business and innovation stakeholders.
Apollo Tyres has appointed Olivier Pataud as country sales manager for France. He succeeds Francois Hien, who becomes the company’s new “head of customer experience projects” operating across all of the company’s product groups in France. Pataud joined Apollo Tyres last year as a key account manager for the Passenger Car Tyre division.
French automotive and mobility sector company Mobivia, which operates 11 brands and some 20 start-ups in several countries, has a new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Following its election on 27 January, the company’s Board of Directors chose Romain Sartorius to lead the firm for the next four years.
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