Date Created: 18 November 2011
More than 100 new jobs have been created and hundreds more safeguarded at the Michelin factory in Dundee, with plans to turn it into a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.
Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise worked extensively with Michelin's Dundee team to provide an integrated package of support to the global French company.
Support included a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant to secure existing jobs and create new roles, assistance with staff training and skills development, and help towards becoming an energy efficient, zero waste factory.
Next generation fuel-efficient tyres
As a result of the support Michelin are investing a share of a UK-wide package worth up to £50 million to convert the Dundee plant into a “factory of the future”, which will produce the next generation of fuel-efficient tyre.
The Dundee factory currently employs 860 staff including 24 apprentices and is a key facility for Michelin – the world’s biggest tyre manufacturer.
The First Minister, who announced the grant today, said: "This commitment to Dundee by Michelin is a resounding vote of confidence for the staff at the plant, who can now look forward with confidence to a bright future making the next generation of fuel efficient tyres.
"Assisted by RSA funding from Scottish Enterprise, Michelin has already begun transforming the Dundee factory to enable the hundreds of fantastic, skilled workers here to remain at the cutting edge of their industry and help the worldwide drive to a low carbon economy.”
Regional Selective Assistance
The commitment will also secure the future of Michelin's innovative on-site apprentice training centre, which has trained hundreds of modern apprentices and Skillseekers for work in the Michelin factory and other engineering firms in Tayside.
"Michelin is a forward-thinking, internationally recognised business with a strong commitment to its role in Scotland and in the local Tayside economy,” said Charlie Stewart, Company Growth Support Director or Scottish Enterprise.
“RSA is a key tool we use to help home-grown companies expand in Scotland and to encourage foreign investors to locate or grow their operations here. In doing so, we can help create more jobs for local economies, increase company turnover and ultimately boost Scotland's long-term economic growth. We look forward to working with Michelin in the future to help further realise its ambitious growth plans."
Discover more about Regional Selective Assistance and how it could help your company