New man at helm of Michelin plant

Wilton Crawford has taken over the lead role at the helm of Ballymena's operations from Graham Whitehurst and started his new post last month.

With over 20 years of experience at Michelin – with a vast majority of that time spent at five different Michelin locations in the US – Florida born Mr Crawford represents an international appointment to the Ballymena factory's lead role and he is looking forward to the challenge posed by his new post.

Mr Crawford said: “Having spent a large degree of my working life in the United States, I am delighted to be taking on this very important role in a European plant.

“I am looking forward to continuing the success story we have here at Ballymena and leading the factory to further successes.

challenges

“We do face some major challenges for 2010 given the current global economic climate, but I am confident we, as a team here at Ballymena, will rise to that challenge and continue to deliver the quality, productivity and excellence that underpin all the work we do here at the Raceview Road site.”

The plant's former Factory Manager, Graham Whitehurst – who worked at the Ballymena site for over 12 years, the last five as Plant Manager - moves on to a new role as the co-ordinator for the Company’s ‘Michelin Manufacturing Way’ programme, based at Michelin Group headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

The Ballymena factory manufactures over 1.4 million truck and bus tyres each year, mostly for export.

Having opened in 1969, it celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and currently employs around 1,000 people.