Michelin, the French tire manufacturer with annual revenues approaching €30 billion, has announced plans to relocate jobs from its UK operations to Romania and Poland.
Job Cuts in the UK
According to Ziare the company will transfer approximately 60 back-office roles from its Stoke-on-Trent factory in the UK to Eastern Europe.
By the end of 2024, 22 of these positions will move to Bucharest, Romania, and another 39 will be transferred to Poland by September 2025. This decision will lead to job cuts in the UK, affecting the company's non-production support departments.
In addition to the back-office relocation, Michelin is reshuffling its tire production across Europe. A portion of the production currently done at its Olsztyn plant in Poland will be shifted to its factory in Zalău, Romania, by the end of this year.
The remaining production will be divided between Michelin’s facilities in Spain and Italy. According to Simona Lupică, Michelin’s PR Manager for Central Europe and Central Asia, the Olsztyn plant is undergoing a significant technological transformation.
Cease Production by December
This upgrade will allow the factory to focus on modernized tire production for both trucks and passenger vehicles.
As part of the restructuring, Michelin will cease truck tire production in Olsztyn by the end of September 2025.
The tire production capacity at its factories in Zalău, Aranda (Spain), and Alessandria (Italy) will be adjusted to meet market demands, ensuring the company can continue to serve European customers efficiently.
Despite the closure of truck tire production at Olsztyn, Michelin has assured that no layoffs will occur. All 430 employees affected by this transition will be offered alternative roles within the company.
Michelin has been operating in Romania since 2001, where it currently employs over 4,500 people across three factories in Zalău and Florești. The Bucharest office has also become a key regional hub, coordinating operations across Central and Eastern Europe.
