Pirelli to add MIRS unit at English plant

BIRMINGHAM, England (Feb. 5)—Pirelli S.p.A. has decided to set up a Modular Integrated Roboticized System tire production unit at its plant in Burton-on-Trent, England, making it the third site chosen for the automated manufacturing system. The first MIRS production unit is operating at Pirelli´s headquarters facility in Milan, while the company´s German subsidiary is in the process of setting up a system at its factory in Breuberg. Pirelli Tyre U.K. Ltd. expects to begin making MIRS-based tires by May, according to a statement from Advantage West Midlands, the inward investment body for the region where Burton-on-Trent is located. "In an extremely competitive industry, faced with difficult market conditions, this decision is a testament to the leading edge capabilities of the Pirelli Group and demonstrates the achievements and commitment of the U.K. work force," Dominic Sandivasci, managing director of the Pirelli plant, said in the AWM statement. Neither Pirelli nor AWM disclosed any investment information.