Is Michelin laying off employees in Junction City?
JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) - A major employer with a significant presence in Junction City said it is pumping the brakes on operations at its local plant in response to "difficult market conditions."
27 News reached out to tire production company Michelin North America, Inc. on Wednesday, May 28 asking about possible layoffs impacting its facility in Junction City. A representative for the company provided the following statement on the situation:
"In response to difficult market conditions, we are reducing production and staffing levels at our tracks plant in Junction City, Kan. With difficult decisions, based on our value of Respect for People, we always provide individual support for each person. We temporarily idled the factory to discuss the separation offer directly with employees. Plant operations will resume normally on June 1. We expect to complete the transition process by June 7."
Michelin company statement
Vera LeClair with the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDC) told 27 News earlier in the day that KANSASWORKS was proactively taking action in response to what is happening at the Michelin plant in Junction City. An exact number of positions impacted by this situation has yet to be released.
In 2023, Michelin announced that it planned to invest more than $100 million to increase its production of tracks for agricultural equipment in Junction City over the next five years. The investment was meant to increase the output of agricultural rubber tracks at Camso, a brand beneath the Michelin Group, at 2925 Industrial Street in Junction City.
Michelin reported that it employed around 175 people at the Junction City facility in 2023. The $100 million investments was expected to add around 200 jobs to the facility between 2023-2026.
Camso opened the 139,000-square-foot track manufacturing plant in Junction City in 2020, according to a previous announcement from the company. The plant's location was ideal as it was located close by Camso's other location in Emporia which was also hit by a reduction in staff in 2024.
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