The management of the Michelin group raises short-term doubts about the future of Pneu Laurent in Avallon – Avallon (89200)

The Michelin plant at La Roche-sur-Yon (truck tires) will close well by the end of 2020, but there will be no other stoppage of the group's industrial sites in France in the short term, here three to five years.
This is the message that the Director of Personnel France made this Wednesday at a press conference. Jean-Paul Chiocchetti wanted to present the process of accompanying the 619 employees of the Vendee site, to negotiate with the inter-union, while defusing the upcoming closures scenarios that some unions fear for sites whose competitiveness is at half-mast.
Pneu Laurent, the Avallonnaise factory specializing in the retreading of heavy-vehicle tires, was included, along with the Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendee) and Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Marne) factories. de-Dôme), in an internal document of the management pointing out their weaknesses and the need to correct the shooting.

Pneu Laurent, a subsidiary of the Michelin group in Avallon, targeted for its lack of competitiveness

These new announcements of the manufacturer confirm the words of the director of the Pneu Laurent plant, which, on September 17, 2019, indicated that "neither the jobs, nor the future of the plant are threatened". Among the areas to improve, Arnaud Malecamp evoked the positioning of Pneu Laurent in a market where competition is exacerbated: "The market for retreading for trucks is being attacked by other retreaders in Europe and the import of Asian tires to low price."

Management, union and mayor of Avallon reassure on the future of Pneu Laurent

Gilles Poillevey, the representative of the CFDT, says "reassured in the short term", but wonders about the after. "Everything is going very quickly, we can see it well with the factory of La Roche-sur-Yon, says the unionist.In one year, with the announced closures of the Scottish, German and Vendee sites, there are more than 2,000 posts that disappear . "
In 2018, Pneu Laurent's sales amounted to € 76.5 million, down 7.9% compared to 2017. "We saw an increase in activity in September and October, says Gilles Poillevey, management tells us that 2019 should be in line with forecasts.

Michelin management confident of other sites in France

Franck Morales with Patrice Campo