Roughly 18 months after Michelin announced a reduction in the local workforce, another one is underway.
Michelin North America Public Relations issued the following statement around 4 pm: “The Company has made the difficult decision to reorganize agricultural operations in Emporia, which will result in a smaller footprint when the transition is complete later this year. Based on our values of Respect, we are helping impacted employees start a new chapter in the best way possible.”
Michelin says this will affect around 100 jobs, and Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas Interim President Lyle Butler says this will all but shut down the agricultural track side of local operations.
The ag track line will be phased out starting this summer and continuing through the rest of the year. Butler says soft demand for the product is the reason for Thursday’s announcement, but he also says the wheel business operations will remain untouched with this move, meaning around 150 employees will stay in Emporia.
Butler says Michelin has mentioned plans to help displaced workers including severance packages, outplacement services and educational support. Butler says the city “recognize(s) and appreciate(s) Michelin’s longstanding investment in the community and their continued commitment to treating employees with care and respect throughout this process.”
The framework for upcoming information sessions involving local and state partners is to be determined, but Butler tells KVOE News those conversations are underway
Voluntary severance packages were announced in September 2024 for around 65 staffers as part of layoffs that Michelin called a “structural adjustment.”
Michelin absorbed Camso in 2018 and fully integrated into Michelin North America in 2022, following almost $7 million worth of site enhancements and other investments starting in 2020.
The Michelin transfer follows nearly 18 months of significant job losses and/or business closures in Emporia, most recently with Hopkins Manufacturing ending all its operations and taking around 130 jobs out of the local economy in the process. Other notable large-scale business closures since late 2024 include Holiday Resort, Thermal Ceramics and Tyson, with several retail stores like Bling, Buckle and Claire’s also shutting down over that time.
