Council leader John Alexander called it correctly when said Michelin was part of the “fabric” of Dundee.
For the best part of half a century, the factory has employed hundreds of Dundonians and, thanks to a pair of large wind turbines, it has even changed the landscape of the city.
Even the factory’s earlier brush with closure, back in 2011, seemed to have left the plant on a stronger footing: it’s worth to Michelin reinforced by the dedication of the worker’s and the vision of manager John Reid.
It was almost taken for granted. Part of the city’s furniture.
Then, last Monday, seemingly out of nowhere, the hammer fell and it was revealed that Michelin had decided to close the factory in 2020, making all 845 workers redundant.
For anyone with an iota of affection for Dundee, the announcement was a punch to the gut. Mass lay-offs at Timex, Levis and NCR still linger painfully in the memory.
The impact of such redundancies on the workers, their families and city’s well-being is a wound that can ache for decades.
The loss of Michelin would, it goes without seeing, be comparable to those closures if not worse, given the paucity of manufacturing jobs still around.
Michelin has blamed a lack of demand for 16-inch tyres and competition from cheap imports from the Far East for the decision, which it says will not be reversed.
But there is a glimmer of hope. The company has a reputation for treating its workers fairly, even those it is making redundant.
And it has agreed to hear what proposals the Michelin task force comes up with to save the factory.
This may simply be Michelin’s bonnes manieres, but it is an opportunity nonetheless.
Workers, represented by trade unions, factory management, politicians and other civic leaders, will all have to work together to convince the 129-year-old company they have made a mistake.
It’s a daunting challenge but one we all hope they can, somehow, rise to.
This was supposed to be Dundee’s banner year with the opening of the V&A an indisputable sign of the city’s reputation.
It has been a huge success since it opened and its presence can only ever be a good thing for Dundee.
But making the impossible possible and finding a new future for Michelin in Dundee will be just as important for the city’s future.
