French Michelin plants suspend operations

Until the end of the year, production at several Michelin plants in France will be suspended due to a decline in demand. This was announced by the company's CEO, Florent Menegaux, in an interview with Le Parisien.

It is reported that the plants in Troyes (Aube) and Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire), which produce tires for agricultural and other special equipment, will be shut down for approximately three weeks. In addition, this possibility "has been discussed several times" at the plants in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), Vannes (Morbihan), and Tours (Indre-et-Loire), where automotive tires and semi-finished products are manufactured.

According to Menegaux, the production stoppage is related to the "slowdown in global economic growth and a 20-25% decline in auto manufacturers' sales". "It's obvious that this affects our performance as well," he added, emphasizing that the plants are not under threat of complete closure.

Local media report that Michelin has also sent workers at the Gravanchy plant, which produces automotive tires, on a two-week vacation to "reorganize production", while other company facilities in the country are operating normally.

In 2021, Michelin announced the launch of a large-scale restructuring program, which implies job cuts in France. In recent years, the company has also closed plants in La Roche-sur-Yon (France) and Bamberg (Germany).