Michelin North America has landed a 10-year, $1.7 billion (€1.3 billion) contract with the Defense Department to supply tires from Michelin and other companies to the U.S. military for its ground-wheeled vehicles, officials said Thursday.
The contract comes several weeks after Michelin won a $700 million (€539 million) contract to supply tires for the military’s aircraft, Michelin spokeswoman Lynn Mann said.
Greenville-based Michelin North America has 22,300 workers and operates 19 plants in 17 locations in North America.
“Michelin is ready to step up as the one-stop source for all military tire needs,” said COO Luc Minguet.
I have to admit my view of globalization becomes more bemused, year by year. When people ask me if I’m a patriot, my answer remains, “I’m embarrassed to admit I’m from Earth”.
Hey, if China can make parts for the Blackhawk, why not France making tires? They’re both “enemies”… or “allies” or … shit, I don’t even know anymore…
2,
You’re only entitled to 200 times the hourly wage IF you make tires as shoddy as Firestone. American CEO’s are always rewarded based on how bad they fuck things up.
Michelin tires are very good. I have no problem with this deal; it would be two-faced of me to deny our government purchasing the same high quality product I myself have owned. I think our troops should have access to good products — often their lives depend on it.
Now Bush and the GOP spin-masters can assert that France has joined the “world-wide coalition” in IRAQ.
Unless the 22,000 employees of the Michelin plant are all Frenchmen who send their entire paycheques home to Paris, then most of the money stays here in the U.S.
But since those 22,000 employees are American, then they’ll spend their paycheques at Wal-Mart, and the money will go to China instead.
Pedro – What’s wrong with the chauchat? It was an excellent weapon! The magazine was nice and see-through…
/sarcasm
i still find it odd that there is still animosity against the french. particularly from the right wing “gonna get me a terrorist” group. there is perhaps no country on earth with greater hatred towards muslims than france (germany is a close second). you would think that bush and co. would actually like that.
They’re not French tires, they’re FREEDOM tires.
#11, R&R
Now that was a good one
A couple people here make good points but there is one I think hasnt been mentioned yet. This contract is over *10 years*. Imagine if you will the cost of just 1 cargo plane tire, and then multiply that by several per aircraft then multiply that by thousands of aircraft. This example is just one aircraft. A tire larger than many of us, many thousand times over..
Can any of us do this? Even if someone gave you 1.7 billion dollars do you think you could do it? There are reasons the large contracts go where they go beyond the evil or foolish sides of man.
For a more interesting topic look into the fuel costs of the Airforce over that period of time.