Cooper Tire to Cut Melksham Workforce by 20%
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has announced manufacturing “realignment” plans that will see the company’s Melksham plant reduce its workforce by 20 per cent. According to a statement, the decision to realign production at the Melksham facility is a result of the company’s focus on its “strategic objective to create a sustainable and competitive cost position.” Company managers say the move is designed to enhance the company’s long-term performance, “while helping to mitigate the effects of the current economic downturn and the increases in its cost base.”
This means over the next year, the company will transfer some US tyre production to Melksham and other Melksham production to its Chinese production plants. It is this part of the realignment that will result in the reduction of the current work schedule. It appears that the bulk of the changes are taking place in the passenger car tyre manufacturing departments. A company spokes person told Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com that Cooper Tires does not know exactly which products will be affected, but will be communicating more information on this in due course. However, motorcycle and motorsport products are apparently not included in the changes and will continue to be manufactured in Melksham.