Michelin’s Dundee factory feeling benefit of motorists’ move to winter tyres

Sales of specialist winter weather tyres produced in part at Dundee’s Michelin factory have soared.

The French-headquartered company said that despite the unseasonably mild start to the winter it was expecting to have sold 500,000 cold weather tyres in 2011 a 50% increase compared to 2010.

A total of 1.7m winter weather tyres were produced by the Dundee factory last year a large number of which were exported to European markets representing a 33% increase in overall output compared to the previous year.

Michelin said that demand for the ultra grippy tyres in the UK had increased four-fold in the past three years and production volumes had been adjusted accordingly.

The upturn in winter tyre sales is another boost for the Dundee site after Michelin announced major investment in the factory in November.

A total of 140 new jobs are being created at the Baldovie factory to support a new production line for its new greener low rolling resistance tyres.

The factory produces more than 21,000 tyres a day and volumes are set to rise significantly in coming months.