Tire manufacturer Michelin plans to stop operations at its plant in Starr, Anderson County, South Carolina. The plant makes large mining truck wheels. The company said a downturn in mining and related industries led to halting operations.
Michelin’s plant in Starr opened in 2013 near the Michelin’s rubber processing facility. It builds the company’s large Earthmover tires that are used on large mining or construction trucks. The tires can stand up to 13 feet tall and weigh up to 5.5 tons.
A spokesman for Michelin’s North American operations said the company plans to move the roughly 100 employees at its Starr plant to other company locations by the end of the year. “The plant and its equipment will be maintained so that operations can restart in a timely manner when market conditions improve and customer demand increases,” says spokesman Eric Bruner.
Bruner said the company will be able to keep up with the smaller current demand for the Earthmover tires through its Lexington County facility. Michelin also operates two other factories in Anderson County.
The Anderson County Council had approved an incentive agreement for Michelin in February 2012 that includes tax breaks and waived fees.