Michelin announced today that it has produced the first X One wide single tire at the company’s Waterville, Nova Scotia plant. The company announced the $82 million ($92 million CAD) expansion of the Waterville plant to produce the X One tire in early 2006.
“Sales of the X One tire have more than doubled each year since its commercial introduction in 2000” said Luc Minguet, chief operating officer, Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “This expansion in Waterville is a key component of Michelin’s ability to meet the growing demand of the North American marketplace.”
The expansion, which included the addition of a new building and equipment, will expand Michelin’s X One capacity by more than 50% and allow Waterville to become the second largest truck tire manufacturing plant in Michelin’s global network.
“Michelin’s focus on performance allows the company to deliver the industry’s most innovative products. It’s because of this focus and a drive to exceed expectations, that today our team is delivering on their promise to produce the next generation of Michelin truck tires,” says Grant Ferguson, plant manager at Michelin’s Waterville facility. “Being chosen for the X One expansion project was certainly a great honor for employees, but I think today was even more satisfying as they watched with pride as the first X One tire rolled off the line.”
X One tires offer enhanced performance and fuel efficiency. The tires also offer retreading options through Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT). Michelin first introduced the X One wide single tire in 2000. Since its introduction, the tire has gained significant interest from fleets and individual owner/operators looking for a competitive edge. Michelin’s X One Tire offers significant weight savings per axle and improves fuel consumption by lowering rolling resistance. The result is an industry-changing technology that is being used on hundreds of fleets across 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, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelin-us.com) employs 22,300 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.
NOTE: This content is supplied by manufacturers, associations, and others in the trucking industry. It is neither written nor edited by FleetOwner
