How has Michelin’s Fenner acquisition in 2018 impacted operations in South America?

Michelin’s acquisition of Fenner is part of our strategy to diversify our business into new areas such as mining and sustainability. Our company has a 130 year history in the tire space, but we feel that there are great opportunities for our business to expand.

We aim to help mining companies become more productive in their work and we want to offer services and solutions that boost efficiency. Our strategy is to develop high technology materials for the mining industry, and we are adding to our capabilities by making strategic acquisitions. Fenner has a great presence in the mining industry as well as good knowledge technology materials. The acquisition of Fenner will help Michelin expand its capabilities to offer the best services and solutions to the mining market.

What are the biggest strategic priorities for Michelin’s business?

Sustainability is the core focus of our strategy. We have to innovate in order to reduce the amount of material we use to manufacture the same tire with the same capacity. Older tires do not necessarily have to go to waste, but can be reused through regrooving and repairing, to give more life to the tires. When the life of the tire comes to an end, we have the responsibility to recycle its materials. We can then renew by reusing recycled materials in producing new tires. We also have to do R&D work to find renewable materials that can be implemented in new products. We are in a strong position in Chile, because it will be one of the first countries to implement regulations for the recycling of mining tires and this is well aligned with our strategy.  

Can you elaborate on Michelin’s efforts to introduce innovation and sustainability into its tire business?

We aim to make tires lighter by using less material. We also have the goal to produce tires that are 100% recyclable and renewable. Michelin continues to innovate with regards to the construction of our tires in order to offer more to the client in terms of tire life. We are developing technologies which improve our tires and assist customers in how to best use their tires.  We can improve performance as connect technology keeps customers constantly informed of the position, pressure, temperature and status of each tire. Sensors fixed inside each tire can monitor the tires and give precise measurements.

Michelin’s aim is to excel in the fields of innovation, performance, strength and longevity. A longer tread life, the tread pattern and the choice of rubber compounds perfectly suited to mining environments and the speed capacity of our tires have a direct impact on the mine’s productivity and these are big advantages we have over our competitors. Tires used in the mining industry are subject to very challenging conditions operating in extreme terrain. Through innovation, our tires are designed to give the highest levels of reliability, safety and performance.

Ore grades in the Chilean mining industry are declining and more mines are going underground. How is this changing the way Michelin is developing technologies for the mining industry?  

Michelin’s product range covers both surface and underground mining. Our connectivity developments are very important especially in the underground environment. Machines are faced with the most extreme working conditions in these scenarios. To stand up to fallen rock debris, flooding and heat encountered in the extraction of minerals, tires must be 100% reliable. They also have to be able to withstand greater loads to keep pace with the increased productivity demanded. Mindful of these demands, we have developed a hi-tech tire range, capable of handling these various stresses and strains and carrying even more load.

What are Michelin’s objectives and vision moving forward?

Michelin aims to provide the best products and services to our customers so that they can reach success in their projects. Moving forward, our focus will remain on sustainability and efficiency. Our goal is to be the preferred tire and solutions provider for the mining industry worldwide.