Michelin announced the closure of its plant in Querétaro; it will merge with the one in León.
With information from Agencia Reforma
León, Guanajuato. - Michelin will begin reducing tire production at its Querétaro plant , closing operations by the end of this year. According to Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, the plant will be merged with the plant in León.
Through a statement, the Michelin Mexico and Central America division informed its employees, customers, community, and other stakeholders of the reduction in production until its closure.
The Querétaro plant currently produces five million tires per year for passenger cars and light trucks, in addition to having a workshop for the production of retreaded tires for truck tires.
The company has made the decision to halt production at the Querétaro plant to allow management time this week to engage in collective discussions with employees. Plant workers participated in an initial briefing where preliminary information on next steps was shared.
Matthieu Aubron, Michelin's CEO for Mexico and Central America, acknowledged that the decision was difficult. "Ending the history of our first plant in Mexico has been one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make. It was decided after evaluating all possible alternatives."
The company has 480 employees, who were guaranteed support during this transition.
"Support measures will be announced, including a financial compensation and benefits package, assistance with preparing for a new job search, and an offer of external training to improve or acquire new skills that will increase employability in line with labor market demands."
According to the French company Michelin, the closure of its plant is due to the fact that it has become obsolete and cannot be converted into a competitive facility.
The decision was made as a "last resort," driven by changes in the passenger car and light truck tire market and following a thorough review of the company's operations, Michelin Mexico and Central America said in the statement.
Relocation confirmedProduction at the Michelin plant in Querétaro will be relocated to Guanajuato .
With this change, the León plant is expected to increase its production by 20% by the end of this year, compared to 2024.
The Ministry of Economy confirmed that Michelin maintains its commitment to Guanajuato by maintaining its operations in León, one of the Group's most modern plants globally, where it will concentrate its production starting in 2026.
In a statement, the agency noted that since laying its cornerstone in 2016, this plant has experienced steady growth with two phases of investment totaling $1 billion and the creation of more than 2,000 direct jobs.
They detailed that in 2023, the plant reached a production of 10 million tires, reflecting its high production capacity and efficiency.
This continuity and expansion confirm Michelin's confidence in Guanajuato as a strategic hub for its industrial and technological development, as well as its commitment to job creation and strengthening the local economy."
They noted that the plant in León is a benchmark for innovation within the company.
"Michelin reiterated that its operations in Guanajuato remain strong and growing, contributing significantly to the region's economic and social development, in line with its hallmark standards of quality and modernity."
SM/AAK
A journalist at AM Newspaper for ten years. During her training, she began as an investigative reporter on Raúl Olmos's team, working on special investigations. For the past eight years, she has specialized in business and corporate reporting. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the Latin American Institute of Sciences and Humanities. She holds a Diploma in Digital Journalism, including a Diploma in Digital Economic Journalism from the UDG Virtual University.
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