Cooper to end UK car/LT tire production

Melksham, UK — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Europe Ltd is moving ahead with plans to phase out passenger car and light vehicle tire production at its Melksham plant, the company confirmed 18 Jan.

The move will affect 312 jobs at the former Avon Tyres plant which Cooper has operated since 1997.

The announcement comes four months after the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. subsidiary notified workers at the plant about the proposed closure plan.

The closure, which will take place over the next 10 months, is geared to help Cooper Tire Europe enhance its competitiveness, Cooper said.

The company plans to source light vehicle tires from other sites within its global production network; including its manufacturing plant in Krusevac, Serbia.

Cooper will retain about 400 jobs at Melksham to support functions that will continue there.

These functions include motorsports and motorcycle tire production, a materials business, Cooper Tire Europe headquarters, sales & marketing, and Europe technical centre.

The tire maker said the factory's age and location in the centre of town make it infeasible to modernise or expand for light vehicle tire production.