350 jobs on the line as Wiltshire tyre factory plans closure

A Tyre manufacturing plant in Wiltshire has announced plans to close by the end of next year.

Cooper Tyres, on Bath Road in Melksham announced yesterday (October 13) that it will begin the consultation process of closing its Melksham factory by the end of 2023.

The Cooper Tyre and Rubber Company Europe which manages the factory, has estimated that 350 employees will be affected by the closure.

Cooper Tyres have acknowledged they are “committed to acting responsibly and fairly and offering support to those affected.”

Gavin Champion, HR Director at The Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Europe, said: “It is with deep sadness that we have announced our intention to begin a consultation process on the proposed closure of our tyre production facility at Melksham. 

“Our Melksham site has struggled to be competitive for some considerable time and everyone involved has worked extremely hard to keep operations going for as long as possible. However, this has become increasingly challenging in the current business environment.

Previous cutbacks at Cooper’s Melksham plant, one of the few new tyre producers remaining in the UK, were announced in 2018.

Car and SUV tyre manufacturing was moved to newer facilities overseas, such as the company’s plant in Serbia.

The remaining functions of the Wiltshire site were the production of motorsport and motorcycle tyres.