Those were the good old days Rick. I too was a big Michelin fan, especially on my motorcycles, until I went to buy some for my Wife's Suburban and my local tire dealer told me "They are all made in China now..."
Which is wrong. Michelin has a large number of plants in the US, many of which are in the SE. Though they aren't all making auto tires, several of the plants are. The others are making truck tires, aircraft tires, etc. Michelin's NA headquarters, R&D Center, and several branch offices are located right here in Greenville, SC.
1: Michelin North America Inc AL USA Employees: 600
2: Michelin North America Inc AL USA Employees: 200
3: Michelin North America Inc AL USA Employees: 200
4: Michelin North America Inc IN USA Employees: 30
5: Michelin North America Inc MI USA Employees: 40
6: Michelin North America Inc OK USA Employees: 90
7: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Employees: 72
8: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Employees: 100
9: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Employees: 30
10: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Headquarters Employees: 1,200
11: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Employees: 1,500
12: Michelin North America Inc SC USA Employees: 70
13: Michelin Radial Tires UT USA Employees: 30
These are just some of the Michelin branded plants, not all. Also, there are many other tire brands that are Michelin-owned.
Tell the dealer to do his homework next time.
