Michelin to Revamp Scottish Factory

Michelin has revealed plans to revamp and upgrade its 45-year-old factory in Dundee Scotland. The tire manufacturer will be investing USD 21 million in the project and will receive backing from the Scottish government for upgrading the factory so that it can reduce the environmental impact of the plant and make tires of larger sizes.

The new equipment that will be installed at the factory will include electric curing technology to press tread onto tires. These machines will help make the factory more efficient and increase the range of tires that it can manufacture. The investment was announced during a tour of the Dundee plant by Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Of the USD 21 million capital investment that is needed for the project, Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s main economic development agency, has committed to provide $5.7 million as an Environmental Protection Grant, while Michelin would contribute the rest. According to Scottish Enterprise, once the upgrade is completed, it will result in a reduction of CO2 emissions related to the plant and its output by 7,140 metric tons on an annual basis.

Sturgeon called Michelin’s investment a “testament to our thriving manufacturing industry and its position as a key growth sector for the economy. Their continued commitment is proof of the skill and value of the Scottish workforce.” She added that Michelin was a global leader in developing the latest technology and the move to upgrade the factory to make more fuel efficient tires is another example of the tire manufacturer’s innovation.

The revamp of the factory will not create additional employment but will help to safeguard the jobs of the existing 850 employees at the Michelin factory in Dundee.

Factory Manager John Reid acknowledged Scottish Enterprise’s “fantastic support” for the investment, which “represents a very important step forward for the factory and forms part of a much bigger investment to transform the plant.”

Michelin did not comment on the project’s impact on the plant’s capacity, which is rated at 25,000 units a day.