Continental will discontinue tyre manufacturing operations at its plant in Alor Setar, Malaysia by the end of 2025. Approximately 950 people work at the Alor Setar site, and the company says its priority is to “support its employees by providing assistance and support such as career counselling as well as exploring potential employment opportunities inside and outside of Continental.”
As recently as October 2023 Apollo Tyres still spoke of its “long-term commitment to production in The Netherlands,” however this production will come to an end next year. In a statement made public today, the tyre maker confirms that the board of Apollo Tyres NL BV has advised its Enschede plant’s Works Council of its intention to discontinue tyre production and related activities at the facility by summer 2026. Management informed all Enschede staff at a town hall meeting.
On 19 February, Yokohama Industries Americas Inc. (YIA) announced plans to end production at its Versailles, Kentucky, USA factory by mid-2025. The decision will result in the loss of 250 jobs. YIA has been producing Automotive Hose Assemblies at the site for over 30 years. YIA products manufactured at this facility will be moved to other production sites within YIA’s existing North American network.
Less than a year ago, Yokohama TWS was sharing news of a 20 per cent capacity increase at the 40,000 square metre Trelleborg Tires plant in Spartanburg, USA. Now it is planning the factory’s closure. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing made with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, Yokohama TWS North America intends to permanently close the facility by 19 April 2025. The closure will affect 90 jobs.
The former Mitas off-highway tyre (OHT) factory in Prague, Czech Republic will cease production by the middle of this year. The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (YRC) has decided to close the facility, operated by its subsidiary Yokohama TWS Czech Republic a.s., as part of a scheme to boost efficiencies. The Prague plant’s production programme will transfer to other facilities within the YRC Group.
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.
After more than seven decades in operation, the Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) plant in Hadera, Israel will stop producing tyres by the end of this year. The tyre maker announced today that it will cease operations at the former Alliance Tire Group (ATG) facility as it is becoming increasingly uncompetitive against plants in the Asia region.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) has announced its financial results for the nine months ending 30 September 2024, showcasing moderate revenue growth and a significant increase in business profit, despite ongoing challenges in the global economic landscape and sluggish tyre sales in key markets.
The days of Falken and Dunlop tyre manufacture in North America are numbered. During a Board of Directors meeting held today, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) resolved to end production at the Tonawanda, New York-based plant operated by its Sumitomo Rubber USA, LLC (SRUSA) subsidiary, and to dissolve the subsidiary after “making the necessary preparations.” This decision affects up to 1,555 employees.
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.
Retreading operations at the Bandag facility in Lanklaar, Belgium will cease in the coming months. In a statement issued today, Bandag Europe NV announced its intention to close the retreading plant, most likely in the first half of 2025. The company stresses that it has “no other option than to take structural measures” such as this in response to the “significant decrease” in the European retreading market over the past ten years, a trend that has resulted in production overcapacity and uncompetitive production costs.
Despite strong employee efforts to preserve Goodyear’s Fürstenwalde/Spree tyre production facility in Germany, its future now appears bleak, with closure looming. The plant, which employs around 750 workers, will gradually shut down by the end of 2027. Job cuts may begin as early as next year, although the mixing operation will remain at the Fürstenwalde site.
We learned late last year that three Michelin plants in Germany will partially or fully close by the end of 2025, a measure affecting around 1,500 employees at the Homburg, Karlsruhe and Trier facilities. The tyre maker now intends to end operations in Trier earlier than originally indicated; Michelin is giving workers the choice between substantial severance payments, a well-paid transition to retirement or employment elsewhere via move into a ‘transfer company’.
On 31 May, Kenda chairman Yang Chi-Jen revealed some of the tyre manufacturer’s operations at the shareholders’ meeting. In his words, the company’s Phase II project at its Shenzhen factory in China stopped production on 1 June and was converted into a sales centre and shipping warehouse. After the suspension of production, the products distributed to the southern Chinese market will come from Kenda’s other tyre manufacturing bases, including the Kunshan and Tianjin factories. Before the suspension of production, the project mainly produced motorcycle tyres.
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