Michelin marks 50 years of production at French tire plant

Roanne, France – Michelin has marked a half a century of production at its tire manufacturing facility in Roanne in the central Rhône-Alpes region of France.

In a 27 Sept statement about the milestone, Michelin said the site had undergone “metamorphosis,” while also noting ongoing improvements to the facility's overall performance.

The unit currently employs more than 800 and, since 2015, has narrowed its focus on the ultra-high performance (UHP) tires for “prestigious" clients such as Porsche, AMG and BMW.

The factory, according to Michelin, had "faced difficulties" in the 2010s with the arrival of the ‘high-end’ tire segment in a “generally and lastingly flat European market.”

At the time, the site's annual production of 4 million tires was split 70% for 16” and 17'' tires and 30% for 18'' and above.

The product mix, Michelin added, led to a ‘rapid deterioration’ of the Roanne plant's position in the face of new competition.

During 2014-19, Michelin restructured operations of the plant under project ‘Phenix’: investing €300 million to introduce its C3M modular manufacturing technology there.

Since 2019, Michelin said the upgraded Roanne facility has been repositioned to supply the UHP segment with 90% of production allocated to tires of 19” and above in 2024.

Of that amount, Michelin said, 30% are intended for OEMs and some 80% of overall production are destined for the European market.

Michelin went on to state that it expects the plant’s production operations to be fully automated and digitalised by 2025.

In addition to technical transformation and skills development, Michelin has ‘drastically reduced’ the facility’s environmental footprint, towards achieving 'zero emissions' by 2025.

By the end of next year, Michelin has also targeted a 60% reduction in water consumption compared to a 2022 baseline figure.