At the end of this year, Pete Selleck’s six-year tenure as chairman and president of Michelin North America will come to an end, and the Michelin Group has named Scott Clark his successor. Clark begins in these roles on 1 January 2018. In addition, Joanie Martin also has been named chief administrative officer, a newly created role in the company.
Pete Selleck will retire as chairman and president of Michelin North America, effective 31 December 2017, concluding a six-year tenure in the role. His successor will be named in January 2018, and Michelin says this appointment will be “consistent with ongoing plans for the company’s global reorganisation project.” This new organisation structure is expected to be implemented in early 2018.
Michelin has announced its acquisition of Lehigh Technologies, a US-based company that has developed a patented cryogenic turbo mill technology for transforming rubber from end-of-life tyres and industrial goods into materials for new tyres and other products. The acquisition was completed on 13 October.
Michelin North America says operations at its giant earthmover tyre factory in Starr, South Carolina will be suspended by the end of this year in response to a slowdown in global demand for these products. The decision to put production at the relatively new factory on hold will effect some 100 employees; Michelin says they will be offered jobs at other Michelin facilities in the area.
As reported yesterday, Michelin has officially opened its new Tweel factory in the US. The plant produces the airless tyre and wheel combination for off-road commercial applications, and at the inauguration the chairman and president of Michelin North America addressed recent speculation regarding the extension of Tweel technology to passenger cars.
Michelin’s Tweel factory has opened in Piedmont, South Carolina, USA, manufacturing airless tyres for commercial applications. From Piedmont, Michelin will boost output of its X Tweel SSL skid-steer tyres and begin production of the new X Tweel Turf as original equipment for John Deere’s Ztrak 900 Series line-up of zero-turn commercial mowers. The 135,000sqft facility is Michelin’s 10th in the state, and 16th in the US. The company said it would invest about $50 million in the new plant.
