Pictured above: Tristram Hunt and Mohammed Pervez
speaking with a Michelin employee during their tour of the
factory.
Stoke's newest MP and the Leader of the City Council have been
getting to grips with Michelin's business in a tour of the tyre
giant's Campbell Road site.
Tristram Hunt, newly elected Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent
Central and Mohammed Pervez, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council,
were given a full briefing and tour of the Michelin factory and its
head offices during a visit on Friday. They met with Michelin UK's
Managing Director Jim Rickard, Factory Manager Peter Marsh and
employees at the Stoke headquarters and were given a first hand
insight into the truck tyre retreading operation carried out at the
Campbell Road plant.
The visiting dignitaries spent a large part of the morning
touring the Campbell Road site's Remix and Encore tyre retreading
operation, which are set to be upgraded into state-of-the-art
facilities as part of a new £20m modernisation programme
announced earlier this year. The invitation was extended as part of
Michelin's commitment to fostering good business and community
relations with external stakeholders in North
Staffordshire.
Jim Rickard, who met with both officials, said: "We are
delighted to have two of the city's leading public leading
figures visit our UK Headquarters and Manufacturing site."
"They seemed to really enjoy the visit and it gave us an
opportunity to demonstrate how we contribute to the local economy
and communities here in North Staffordshire and to discuss
matters of interest to the city's business community and
Michelin."
The council leaders were on site for three hours and also met
with other senior managers and staff including discussions with
Michelin Development Director Mike Cole. Michelin Development is
the business loans fund arm of Michelin, dedicated to helping small
and medium sized businesses that helps create new employment in the
areas of the UK, including North Staffordshire,where Michelin has
present or historic links with the community or region.
Just under two years ago, Michelin Development issued a
challenge to Stoke's entrepreneurs and small and medium sized
businesses to become more entrepreneurial after applications to the
loans fund dried up - placing North Staffordshire at the bottom of
the Michelin Development regional league table. Businesses in the
region have heeded the call to action with loan applications back
on the rise and the scheme set to pass the £1m mark in loans
approved, in the next few months.
Michelin's Campbell Road site currently employs over 1000 people
and remains one of the largest private sector employers in the
Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire region.