State and local officials help secure investment, adding jobs at Indiana facility
FORT WAYNE, IND. (March 21, 2011) – Michelin North America is investing an additional $50 million to upgrade equipment and expand production capacity at the company's Fort Wayne BFGoodrich Tire manufacturing facility in Woodburn, Ind., adding approximately 35 new jobs to the local economy. The announcement was made today during a ceremony at
the City-County building in Fort Wayne during which Michelin thanked state and local officials and development agencies for their continued support of
Michelin's investment in Allen County.
"We are deeply grateful to the state of Indiana, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance and the Allen County Department of Planning
Services, as well as the County Council and County Commissioners, WorkOne Northeast and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, all of whom were
influential in helping to secure this investment," said Dent Johnson, plant manager. "This investment enables us to increase production capacity while
continuing to deliver high-quality products to our customers. It will also upgrade the flexibility and capability of this facility to help improve its
long-term competitiveness."
"Michelin continues to see Indiana as a smart place to grow its manufacturing capacity and we know that's a direct reflection of the dedication of the
Northeast Indiana workers," said Mitch Roob, secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
The 1,900,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 1961, produces passenger car and light truck BFGoodrich Tires and currently employs 1,580 people.
Upgrades and expansion work will begin immediately.
The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance compiled a competitive incentive package to help secure the investment worth more than $3
million, including a personal and real property tax abatement of $2.1 million, which was approved by the Allen County Council on Jan. 20, 2011. The
incentive offers were a cumulative effort that came from Allen County, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and WorkOne Northeast.
"The continued investment in Allen County by Michelin for its BFGoodrich Tire plant has provided good paying jobs to many Northeast Indiana residents for
50 years," said County Commissioner Nelson Peters. "We're looking forward to BFGoodrich thriving in our community for another 50 years to come."
About the Alliance
The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance began in 2000 as the lead organization for economic development activities throughout the county.
The Alliance is a not-for-profit organization supported by Allen County, the City of Fort Wayne, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and the Fort
Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. The Alliance's goal is to further the base employment of Allen County through business retention, expansion and
attraction projects. To learn more about the Alliance, visit www.theallianceonline.com.
About Michelin North America
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The Company has earned a long-standing reputation for building innovative premium tires. In addition to tires, the Company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs about 22,700 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants. Forbes magazine has ranked Michelin No. 1 on its annual survey of “Best Large Employers in America” for 2018. Learn more about purpose-driven careers with a purpose-driven company at jobs.michelinman.com.