Michelin's Bourges site unveils its flight plan for 2028

• A 5-year action plan enabling Bourges to consolidate its performance on a very brisk aircraft tire market.

• A collaborative project to enhance industrial performance involving all of the site’s stakeholders.

• The planned creation of a hundred jobs with integrating the production activities of Michelin Inflatable Solutions^*, an innovative start-up specializing in ultra-light inflatable structures, with a presence in aviation and defense activities.

A benchmark plant on the aircraft tire market, Michelin’s Bourges site, the flag bearer of Michelin’s aeronautical ambitions, is presenting an ambitious, 5-year action plan.

AN INDUSTRIAL 5-YEAR PROJECT, COMBINING INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE

Michelin’s Bourges site has witnessed significant growth in production over the last two years. This development has resulted in organizational constraints linked to integrating new activities, such as the mounted assemblies for Europe (Trucks – Civil Engineering – Subway), and the recruitment and training of almost 240 employees on permanent contracts in 2022 and 2023.

To respond to these challenges, the site undertook a collaborative project with all of the site’s employees, based on an overall assessment shared with employees and staff representatives. Building on these shared indicators, there was fresh impetus for the site, taking into account fundamental issues connected with its running, in order to enhance performance.

10 working groups were set up to address the numerous topics: management quality, safety culture, training, product quality, well-being in the workplace, projects and innovation, economic performance, environmental impact, working environment and client reception.

This collective approach led to the co-construction of an ambitious 5-year plan, intended to enhance the operational functioning and overall performance of the Bourges plant, the Group’s only aeronautical facility in Europe.

The plant has 643 permanent employees and produces approximately 130,000 tires per year for civil, military and business aviation. The site is poised to produce the Michelin Air X SKY LIGHT, a new generation aircraft tire that is lighter and longer lasting and the result of several breakthrough innovations. The Bourges plant’s portfolio includes the most discerning clients, including the French Air and Space Force, The United States Air Force, Airbus, Dassault, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Air France, Lufthansa, Easyjet, Emirates, Avioparts and Takhzeen Aerospace.

THE INSTALLATION OF MICHELIN INFLATABLE SOLUTIONS^*: THE PLANNED CREATION OF AROUND A HUNDRED JOBS

Beyond tire production activities, the Bourges site is expanding its activities by welcoming Michelin Inflatable Solutions^*, a subsidiary 100% owned by the Michelin Group.

Announced during celebrations to mark the site’s 70th anniversary in November 2022, the installation of some of the Michelin Inflatable Solutions^* production teams is taking shape. 3 million Euros have already been invested to create an initial 2,000m² workshop, which will be ready for operations in January 2024, with 30 employees composing the first team.

Michelin Inflatable Solutions’^* involvement in the aviation and defense ecosystem and a geographical situation offering proximity with the teams based in Trappes – the company’s historic headquarters – and Michelin’s R&D teams in Clermont-Ferrand, will enable it to develop on these high added value markets. Eventually, the activities of Michelin Inflatable Solutions^* should cover 6,000m² – with the aim of creating around a hundred jobs.

^*AirCaptif company