Michelin, il sito di Alessandria punta sulla seconda vita degli pneumatici

The Michelin plant in Alessandria celebrates its 55th year of operation, marking a significant milestone for the multinational company. This facility, which employs 950 people, is specialized in the production of large-sized truck tires and serves as a point of reference for the Michelin Group in terms of innovation, skill development, and flexibility.

Over the years, Michelin has focused on sustainability at the plant, achieving a 64% reduction in water consumption since 2019. The plant is also on track to meet its 2027 projections for energy and CO₂ targets, thanks to the renewal of the thermal power plant that serves the production area. With a production capacity of nearly 1.2 million tires per year and a surface area of over 470,000 square meters, Michelin's Alessandria facility has proven its specialization while diversifying its production to include subway tires, large-sized products for agricultural vehicles, and civil engineering applications.

Approximately 60% of the Group's products are destined for Europe, while the remaining 40% reach other global markets. The plant serves both the replacement market and the prime equipment market, collaborating with major truck manufacturers, semi-truck manufacturers, quarry vehicles, and specialized vehicles. Agostino Mazzocchi, President and CEO of Michelin Italiana, reaffirms the central role of Italy within the Group, confirming the company's investment of over 430 million euros in Italy over the past five years.

The focus at this facility is the Multivite model, which represents one of the distinctive elements of Michelin's proposal for professional transport. This tire design is intended to last longer and live multiple lives through profiling and reconstruction, contributing to reducing the total cost of use for transport companies and containing resource consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Supporting this model means defending industrial skills, employment, and value for the territory, "continuing to develop technologies in Alessandria that can be widely diffused" explains the CEO. The Alessandria plant collaborates with the Group's Research and Development to develop and validate new materials and products before industrialization.

Concrete examples include the Infinicoil technology, which reduces wear and thus consumption, and a variant of the MICHELIN X-CRANE 2 tire designed for large excavators, developed, industrialized, and manufactured at the Alessandria site to meet specific market needs. Innovation also extends to production processes. The facility has been a pilot site for the introduction of autonomous guided carts.

Additionally, the plant is characterized by a broad portfolio of product ranges and sizes, along with flexible organizational modes, making Alessandria a recognized benchmark for productivity flexibility within the Michelin Group.