Michelin Integrates Camso Plants into Manufacturing Network

The leadership teams of two Camso manufacturing sites in Emporia, Kansas, hosted a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate joining the Michelin manufacturing network and their inclusion in the Michelin North America footprint.

“We are so excited to be able to celebrate the Camso Emporia community’s inclusion into the larger Michelin network,” says Manufacturing Director Jason Davis, “The growth and the journey of these facilities have made it an especially exciting couple of years and we’re proud of our role in continuing to feed the world.”

Emporia is home to two manufacturing plants. Camso acquired the facility that produces agricultural tracks and wheels in 2002. At the time, the facility only had one track and 50 employees, Michelin says. Through steady investment in the area, the company has increased production, added a remanufacturing plant and increased the number of employees to almost 300 between the two facilities. The company has also invested $6.5 million in the last two years to expand and improve the site.

Michelin and Camso joined forces in 2018 to strengthen the mobility company’s global leadership position in specialty businesses, Michelin says.

Toyo Tire announced the development of catalysts that convert carbon dioxide into butadiene in high yield in collaboration with the University of Toyama. The company said it and the university successfully synthesized butadiene rubber, a key raw materials for tires, using CO2.

The composition ratios of raw materials used for automobile tires varies by category, and petroleum-derived synthetic rubbers including butadiene units (styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR)) account for approximately 30% of raw material overall. This being the case, the tire industry has been activating the research of synthesis of butadiene rubber derived from naturally alternative materials (resources) other than petroleum for practical application.