SHENYANG, China—Michelin has begun manufacturing tires at a $1.5 billion plant complex in Shenyang that eventually will produce more than 12 million passenger, light truck and medium truck and bus tires a year.
The plant, built in Shenyang's Economic and Technological Development Zone, replaces a factory Michelin opened in the northern China city 18 years ago.
At full capacity, the new plant is expected to have annual capacities of 10 million car tires, 1.8 million truck tires and 295,000 retreads with 1,500 employees, the firm said at the plant's groundbreaking in November 2010. Michelin ceremoniously inaugurated production at the plant on Jan. 26 and said production of passenger and light truck tires will start by mid-year.
The business operates under the name Michelin Shenyang Tire Co. Ltd. Michelin did not say when production at the original Shenyang plant will halt or whether it already has stopped.