Michelin Group Looks Beyond Tires

CHICAGO—Michelin is best known for tires, but the company is working to give the markets it serves a broader impression of its capabilities.

At Aviation Week's MRO Americas, that meant bundling multiple aerospace-related brands together for the first time. The familiar Michelin tires were present, but sharing space with the iconic brand were Fenner and CDI Products

Acquired by Michelin in 2018, Fenner's aerospace products include coated fabrics. CDI, which was part of Fenner and came in the deal, makes bearings, seals and injection-molded components.

Like the tire division, both are now part of the Michelin group of companies that includes the famous restaurant guides published since 1900. One of the company's group-level goals is to streamline connections between its business units and the verticals they serve.

"We can give you a more comprehensive aerospace solution," said Tim Fuller, Americas and UK Aerospace marketing director. "Whether it's your maintenance, repair and overhaul needs, whether you're distributing, whatever you're doing, we can help with more than just tires."

Right now, the focus is on leveraging the well-known brand and underscoring that the group's business units have the same core business principles as the tire operation.

"They know the Michelin name," Fuller said. "They know what they come to expect in terms of quality, engineering, technical expertise and innovation. That's the exact same DNA that's in Fenner and CDI."

While some of the smaller business units were on prominent display, Michelin's MRO Americas presence did not downplay its legacy product. One of the company's newest aviation tires—and one of the few examples of the new design that currently exist—was on display.

Introduced at last year's Paris Air Show and developed for the Dassault Falcon 10X slated to enter service later this decade, the Michelin Air X Sky Light is designed to be 10-20% lighter with 10-20% more lifespan than existing tires. The trade-off: it cannot be retreaded. But customers have expressed interest in having the fuel and related CO2 savings the lighter design brings, Fuller said.