Michelin confirms plan for truck tyres at Tours

Paris--A spokesman for Michelin has confirmed that the company is in the process of expanding production of truck tyres at its factory in Tours, France, while simultaneously ending production of truck tyres at the nearby plant of Poitiers.

The spokesman said the expansion plan at Tours represents an investment of Euro 54 million at Tours between 2005 and 2007. He said this is in addition to Euro 150 million invested between 2000 to 2005. Overall, he added, the factory will be focussed on "high-value products." He confirmed that this meant super-single and low-profile tyres. He added that the new X-1 tyre will also be made at Tours.

The spokesman said the investment will increase capacity at Tours to over 1 million units per year, from around 800 000.

He added that Tours will become the main pole for truck tyre manufacturing in northern and Western Europe, adding that over 50 percent of the production will be exported from France.

The spokesman said the Poitiers plant will become a warehouse for all kinds of tyres, but mostly truck. The workforce there would be reduced to about 50 people. The remaining 300 or so workers are being offered jobs at nearby Michelin plants, including the expanded Tours unit.