Michelin extends manufacturing run at Canada plant

Granton, Nova Scotia — Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. will continue to build tires — winter tires predominantly — at its factory in Granton through May 2020, extending for two more years a special manufacturing arrangement that was due to end in 2018.

"We continue to have significant customer demand for this winter product line and are certainly pleased to extend this project at our Michelin Pictou County site until 2020 to meet this need," said Jeff MacLean, president of Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.

The production extension covers the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 winter tire. Michelin announced in 2014 it intended to phase out nearly all production at the 46-year-old plant in Pictou County, then extended the factory's tire manufacturing life for two years in March 2016.

This two-year project extension will maintain the current workforce at the site, meaning any new hires will be due to normal attrition. Existing tire building equipment will be used for this project and no additional investment is required for this project extension.

Maclean said demand for the winter tire is coming both from Canada — where, for instance, Quebec has instituted a winter tire requirement — and from export markets.

Michelin did not quantify the scale of production at the plant in Granton. Michelin employs 700 at the site, including 90 engaged in the winter tire production.

The factory also still produces tire membranes and serves as a rubber-compounding site for other Michelin plants.