Bushmills Whiskey interested in buying Ballymena Michelin site
Michelin told the BBC it had been contacted but pointed out that production will continue in Ballymena for another two-and-a-half years.
A spokesperson for Bushmills Whiskey confirmed that it has explored acquiring the site at Raceview Road which is understood to cover in excess of 100 acres.
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Hide AdThe closure of the local Michelin plant, which will result in the loss of 860 jobs, is understood to be part of a restructuring plan that will see investment in Michelin’s facilities in Dundee and Stoke on Trent.
The Ballymena factory produced its first tyre on 3 December 1969.
It produces about one million bus and truck tyres per year, with more than 70% of its total production capacity being exported, chiefly to North America.
The company had been warning for a number of years about the threat to the future of the Ballymena plant caused by high energy costs.