Major manufacturer will bring jobs and investment.
Deputy First Minister has welcomed a deal which will
almost restore the workforce lost at the site of the old Michelin
tyre factory in Dundee.
Advanced textiles manufacturer Wilkie has become the major
shareholder in the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, planning to
invest up to £50 million and triple its workforce to 600. This
will be in addition to just under 200 staff already on site at
MSIP.
When the Michelin tyre factory closed down in 2020 with 850 jobs
lost, the Scottish Government began working to retain the site as
an economic hub which would bring jobs back to the region.
Ministers played a leading role in putting together a partnership
with Michelin, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise which
invested almost £50 million to create the Parc.
Since it opened, MSIP has become a centre for innovation and
skills with 16 tenant companies and 190 workers. It includes an
Innovation Hub and Labs and a Skills Academy led by Dundee and
Angus College. The Parc has also supported 53 new businesses
through its Innovator Accelerator programme, creating more than
80 jobs elsewhere.
On a visit to the Parc with Wilkie CEO Hamish Rowan and General
Manager , the Deputy First Minister said:
“When Michelin closed the doors on its tyre factory, the Scottish
Government promised to reinvest in the site's economic future. We
hoped that we'd be in the position we find ourselves in today,
bringing in a major employer like Wilkie with a strong Scottish
heritage.
“Dundee has long been known as the home of industry, and I
consider myself fortunate in having seen Michelin Scotland
Innovation Parc's transition from a spark of an idea to the
business community we see today, connecting industry trailblazers
with academia to bring about greener economic growth across the
country.
“Wilkie will guide MSIP into its future as a major centre for
manufacturing, while continuing to work with companies focused on
sustainable innovation and decarbonisation.”
Scottish Enterprise is staying on as a minority shareholder to
work with Wilkie, which will be relocating from its current base
in Kirriemuir where it employs around 200 workers.
Wilkie has made clear its focus on expansion and that current
employees are a critical part of its success. Transport will be
provided for the workforce to commute to Dundee. The Scottish
Government will work to support the workforce and the wider
community as this transition takes place.
