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.
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.
Following reports that Irish whiskey manufacturer Bushmills is interested in purchasing Michelin’s closing truck tyre plant in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, the tyre manufacturer has issued a statement clarifying the plant’s current status.
As Michelin announced in November 2015, the tyre maker intends to close its Ballymena truck tyre factory in Northern Ireland; the plan is to wind down the facility, which currently employs around 860 people, between now and mid-2018. The stiff drink some plant workers may have needed after hearing the news isn’t the only connection between the Ballymena factory and alcohol – the BBC reports that Bushmills Whiskey has made enquiries about purchasing the site.
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 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”.
The tyres on almost 2 per cent of cars tested by Michelin in Ballymena were classified as ‘dangerous’. Local news sources report that, at a recent free ‘Fill Up With Air’ promotion hosted by Michelin at Tesco, Ballymena, 158 vehicles had their tyre pressure and condition checked.
