Michelin facts for kids
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Headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Native name
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Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin SCA
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| Public | |
| Traded as | Euronext Paris: ML CAC 40 Component |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 28 May 1889 |
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| Headquarters |
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France
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  €28.59 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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€3.4 billion (2022) |
| €2 billion (2022) |
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| Total assets |  €15.341 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €7.808 billion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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132,000 (2022) |
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Michelin is a famous French company that makes tyres. It's one of the biggest tyre makers in the world! Their main office is in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Besides making tyres, Michelin is also known for its special travel guides. These guides give out Michelin stars to restaurants for their amazing food. You might also recognize their company mascot, Bibendum, who looks like a friendly person made of tyres.
Michelin has invented many important things, like tyres you can easily remove and the radial tyre. They make tyres for all kinds of vehicles, from Space Shuttles and aircraft to cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. In 2012, they made 166 million tyres in 69 factories across 18 countries.
Contents
History of Michelin
How Michelin Started
The Michelin company began in 1889. Two brothers, Édouard Michelin and André Michelin, ran a business in France. One day, a cyclist came to their factory because his tyre needed fixing. The tyre was glued to the wheel, and it took a very long time to repair.
After the repair, Édouard tested the bicycle. But the tyre broke again quickly! Even so, Édouard was excited about the idea of air-filled tyres. The brothers then worked to create their own version that didn't need to be glued. Michelin officially started on May 28, 1889.
In 1891, Michelin got its first patent for a removable pneumatic tyre. This new tyre was used by Charles Terront to win the world's first long-distance bicycle race, the 1891 Paris–Brest–Paris.
Important Tyre Inventions
In the 1920s and 1930s, Michelin had large rubber farms in Vietnam. There were concerns about how workers were treated, which led to an investigation by France.
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In 1934, Michelin created a special tyre that could still run even if it got a flat. This design is now known as a run-flat tyre.
A very important invention was the radial tyre in 1946. Michelin patented this new technology and used it to become a top tyre maker. The radial tyre was first called the "X" tyre. It was designed for cars like the Citroën Traction Avant. Because radial tyres were better for handling and saved fuel, they quickly became popular in Europe and Asia.
Michelin's Growth Around the World
In 1966, Michelin worked with Sears to make radial tyres for them. By 1970, they were selling a million of these tyres each year.
Michelin opened its first sales office in North America in 1968. Their products quickly became popular there. By 1989, they had a 10% share of the tyres bought by American car makers.
In 1989, Michelin bought the tyre companies B.F. Goodrich and Uniroyal. This purchase included a factory that made tyres for the U.S. Space Shuttle Program.
As of 2008, Michelin became the world's largest tyre maker again. They make tyres in many countries, including France, the US, Japan, and Brazil. In 2019, Michelin announced that some of its plants in Germany and France would close.
Michelin also owns other tyre brands like Taurus Tyre in Hungary and Kormoran in Poland. In recent years, Michelin has bought other companies, including Camso (in 2018), which makes tyres for off-road vehicles, and Multistrada Arah Sarana (in 2019), an Indonesian tyre maker.
Michelin in Motorsports
Michelin tyres are used in many exciting races around the world.
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MotoGP Racing
Michelin was part of MotoGP (motorcycle racing) from 1972 to 2008. They brought new tyre designs like radial and multi-compound tyres to the sport. They won 360 races in 36 years! From 1993 to 2006, every world champion rode on Michelin tyres.
In 2007, another tyre brand won the championship. Some riders felt Michelin tyres were not as good then. Michelin left MotoGP at the end of 2008. However, they returned in 2016 as the official tyre supplier for MotoGP.
Formula One Racing
Michelin first raced in Formula One in 1977. They brought radial tyre technology to F1 and won championships with teams like Brabham and McLaren before leaving in 1984.
The company came back to Formula One in 2001. They supplied tyres to several teams. By 2005, Michelin tyres were very strong in F1. This was partly because new rules said tyres had to last the whole race.
There was a big problem at the 2005 United States Grand Prix. Michelin would not let its teams race because of safety worries about the tyres. Michelin later offered to pay back all ticket costs to fans who bought tickets for that race.
Michelin had a difficult relationship with the sport's governing body, the FIA. Because of these issues, Michelin announced in December 2005 that they would not stay in Formula One after the 2006 season.
The last F1 race won on Michelin tyres was the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. Michelin won the Constructors' Championship in 2005 and 2006.
Endurance Racing
Michelin is also involved in long-distance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They supplied tyres for the winner of the very first Le Mans race in 1923. In 2009, Michelin supplied tyres for 41 of the 55 cars in Le Mans. They continue to supply tyres for many top teams in endurance races.
Since 2019, Michelin has been the official tyre supplier for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. They also supply tyres for the LMP3 class in the European Le Mans Series since 2015.
Rallying
In the World Rally Championship, Michelin has supplied tyres to many factory teams, including Audi, Citroën, and Ford. They were absent from 2008 to 2010 but returned as an official supplier from 2011 to 2020.
New Inventions and Products
Michelin is always working on new ideas for tyres and other products.
- Pax System: A special tyre system that allows you to drive even with a flat.
- Tweel: A tyre that doesn't use air! It's a combination of a tyre and a wheel.
- BAZ Technology: This uses special nylon strips inside the tyre to stop it from changing shape at high speeds.
- EverGrip Technology: A safety feature that helps tyres keep good grip on wet and snowy roads as they wear down.
- Zero Pressure Technology: Tyres with strong sidewalls that can support a vehicle's weight even without air pressure. This lets you drive for a while at speeds around 50-55 mph after a puncture.
Active Wheel Technology
Michelin's Active Wheel project involved electric motors built right into the wheels. This design could free up space in cars by removing parts like transmissions and exhaust systems. The project was stopped in 2014.
Other Michelin Products
Michelin makes more than just tyres!
Tyre Shops
Michelin owns tyre retail chains like Euromaster in Europe and TCI Tyre Centers in the US.
Travel Guides
Michelin has published two famous guide series for a long time:
- The Red Guides are for hotels and restaurants. These are the guides that award the famous Michelin stars.
- The Green Guides are for tourism, helping people explore different places.
They also make digital maps and guides.
Road Maps
Michelin publishes many road maps, mostly for France but also for other countries in Europe, Africa, Thailand, and the United States. During World War II, both the Allies and the Germans used copies of Michelin roadmaps for their plans.
Online Maps
ViaMichelin is a part of the Michelin Group that started in 2001. It provides digital mapping services online. ViaMichelin offers maps and directions for many parts of the world, including Europe, the USA, and Australia.
Michelin Challenge Bibendum / Movin'On
The Michelin Challenge Bibendum is a big event focused on sustainable mobility, which means finding ways to travel that are good for the environment. Since 2017, it's been known as Movin'On.
Tyres for Trucks and Buses
In 1952, Michelin adapted its radial tyre technology for trucks, making truck tyres better and safer.
Michelin's Leaders
From 1999, the company was led by CEO Édouard Michelin. Sadly, he passed away in 2006. After him, Michel Rollier became the head of the company, followed by Jean-Dominique Senard in 2012. In 2019, Florent Menegaux took over as the Managing Chairman.
Michelin also has its North American headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. They started making tyres there in 1975 and opened their main office for North America a decade later.
Images for kids
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Michelin logo
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Michelin Headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France
In Spanish: Michelin para niños
See also
- Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars
- List of tire companies
