Automotive Components Industry
Michelin, France
“Michelin started its tire business in 1889 and in less than a century has grown its organization to where it now produces 20% of the world’s tires. Michelin tires are manufactured at 74 plants worldwide and sold in more than 170 countries on all the continents. This is a clear indication of our global orientation. In each country we operate, including, of course, Serbia, we continue to follow the high standards and ethics established by Michelin.
Our primary business goal is to satisfy the needs and respect the interests of our customers, employees, partners and stockholders, while at the same time adhering to the policies and regulations governing environmental protection.
In Serbia, our commitment is strong and our presence is twofold: We have co-founded TIGAR MH in Pirot with Tigar AD and IFC (a member of the World Bank). Tires manufactured at TIGAR MH are marketed in Serbia and worldwide, including distribution via the Michelin sales network. We also market tires manufactured at our non-Serbian plants via our joint company and other Serbian market dealers.
Serbia is important to us because it represents a strong market and because it is a country in which we have found an excellent and reliable partner with whom we have been doing business for many years and who shares our values, objectives and business policies. In our opinion, the level of co-operation we have achieved in Serbia through the business operations of TIGAR MH has had and will continue to have a positive impact not only on TIGAR MH and its employees, but also on the business of Tigar AD and its other affiliates, the value of the Tigar Corporation, the local environment in which it operates and even on the state itself, which has benefited from the taxes paid and the high level of export, resulting in a better trade balance for the country. We at Michelin pay particular attention to our social responsibility and our relationship with the environment, and strive to be a “good neighbor” in every situation. I hope that both Tigar and Pirot feel they have benefited from their collaboration with Michelin and that they see us as a partner in a fully implemented win-win strategy.
We are very proud of the fact that our joint company TIGAR MH was declared the top organization of the year in 2004 by SIEPA, and that we received second prize for top corporate brand of 2004 in the 'BEST SERBIAN BRANDS’ campaign of the Serbian Ministry of Trade and Tourism and the Business Review Magazine.
Our collaboration with Tigar has a long history. During the 1970’s Tigar entered into ongoing technical cooperation and license agreements and a joint venture agreement with B.F. Goodrich, a US tire manufacturer. To date, we have found Tigar to be a partner who shares our business values and policies. Like us, Tigar is primarily interested in furthering the positive market positioning of TIGAR MH and growing the business through the development of new products, improvements in quality, increases in productivity and reductions in production costs. Competition in the tire market is intense and only those companies with a clearly defined long-term strategy, which project continual progress and achieve their business plans, can sustain and strengthen their market position. The recognition of this key aspect is shared by our partners, and for this reason I feel at liberty to say that I am optimistic with regard to TIGAR MH’s future.”
Mr. Manuel Weiller
Manager Business Development Europe Michelin
and
Mr. Dragan Nikolic
Director Tigar AD
