Michelin to close Querétaro plant by year’s end

French multinational tyre shaper Michelin announced it volition adjacent a works successful the authorities of Querétaro by the extremity of the year, but volition not beryllium leaving Mexico.

The tire-maker described its determination arsenic “a past resort,” explaining that changes successful the rider car and airy motortruck tyre marketplace forced the determination connected the company.

Michelin spokespersons and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard some stressed that the closure of the Querétaro works is by nary means a prelude to the tyre institution abandoning Mexico. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

The plant, which opened successful 2002, is configured to nutrient smaller tires. According to the company, the marketplace has evolved toward larger rims and tires. 

“The Querétaro works volition beryllium closed due to the fact that it has go obsolete,” a typical for the institution told Reuters. 

The works closure volition impact 480 employees. 

Some of the Querétaro accumulation volition beryllium moved to León successful the neighboring authorities of Guanajuato. The León mill — operational since 2016 — is 1 of the company’s astir modern plants globally, Reuters reported.

The Querétaro authorities authorities said the tire-maker volition support a beingness successful the state. In summation to Michelin’s firm operations successful Querétaro city, the tyre institution volition enactment different activities successful the state.

Querétaro’s Sustainable Development Minister Marco del Prete said successful a societal media post that Michelin volition proceed to run its Shared Services Center successful the state.

Michelin said it volition wage afloat severance to each 480 employees impacted by the Querétaro plant’s closure and volition supply enactment for occupation training. (Shutterstock)

Michelin México CEO Matthieu Aubron told Del Prete that the institution volition wage afloat severance to each 480 employees and volition assistance them done the modulation process, including providing enactment for job-training programs.

Michelin met with its Querétaro customers, the employees and assemblage leaders to sermon arrangements, the paper El Financiero reported.

Del Prete said the authorities authorities volition besides connection services to the laid-off workers via the Labor Ministry and the state’s Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard was speedy to constituent retired that the works closure was not a archetypal measurement toward Michelin’s departure from Mexico, asserting that Michelin maintains its committedness to Mexico.

“Michelin informed the Economy Ministry that it has decided to merge its Querétaro works with its works successful León, Guanajuato,” Ebrard said successful a societal media post. “The merger is being implemented due to the fact that the second produces tires champion suited to the existent Mexican market.”

The Querétaro mill was producing astir 500,000 BF Goodrich tires per twelvemonth for rider cars and airy pick-up trucks. The works besides features a store to retread oregon remold aged motortruck tires.

With reports from El Economista, Infobae, Reuters and El Financiero