Michelin tires are made at 121 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries, with the largest American production concentrated in South Carolina, where Michelin operates seven facilities and employs approximately 10,000 workers.
Michelin is known for producing premium tires across every vehicle category from passenger cars and motorcycles to commercial trucks, aircraft, and construction equipment, and holds the position of the world’s largest tire manufacturer by revenue.
Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin is a French publicly traded company headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where brothers Édouard and André Michelin founded the business in 1889, and the global headquarters has remained there for over 135 years.
Knowing where Michelin tires are made helps buyers understand that many tires sold in the United States are actually manufactured domestically at American plants rather than imported from France or Asia.
This article covers where U.S.-market Michelin tires are made, which American states host Michelin plants, how to check the country of origin on your specific tires, and how Michelin compares to Bridgestone and Goodyear on domestic production.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Makes Michelin Tires?
Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin, known simply as Michelin, is the manufacturer of all Michelin-branded tires worldwide.
The company was founded in 1889 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and introduced the world’s first removable pneumatic bicycle tire in 1891 and the first pneumatic automobile tire in 1895.
Michelin’s North American headquarters is located in Greenville, South Carolina, from which it oversees 36 facilities across the continent.
Michelin is publicly traded on the Euronext Paris exchange and employs approximately 132,500 people worldwide.
The company also owns BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, and several other tire brands, all of which are produced in the same global manufacturing network as Michelin-branded tires.
Where Are Michelin Tires Made in the USA?
South Carolina is the heart of Michelin’s American manufacturing operations. The Lexington, South Carolina plant is Michelin’s largest U.S. facility and produces passenger car tires, light truck tires, and some of the largest tires in the world used in mining and construction.
The Spartanburg, South Carolina plant focuses on commercial truck and bus tires.
Additional U.S. Michelin plants include Fort Wayne, Indiana for passenger and light truck tires; Tuscaloosa, Alabama for passenger and light truck tires; Dothan, Alabama for truck tires; Asheboro and Norwood, North Carolina for retreading materials and aircraft tires respectively; and Covington, Georgia for retreading treads. The Ardmore, Oklahoma plant, which produced passenger tires, closed by the end of 2025.
The majority of Michelin tires sold to American consumers are assembled in the United States. South Carolina alone produces approximately 89,000 tires every day across all manufacturers operating there, with Michelin as by far the state’s largest tire producer and employer.
How Do I Know Where My Michelin Tire Was Made?
The country of manufacture is molded into every Michelin tire sidewall in the form of a DOT code and a “Made in [Country]” designation. The DOT code’s first two characters identify the specific manufacturing plant. A Michelin tire made in the U.S. will say “Made in USA” on its sidewall, while an imported tire will identify its country of origin.
Michelin applies identical quality standards, materials specifications, and testing protocols at all its global facilities. A Michelin Defender 2 assembled in South Carolina meets the same performance specifications as one assembled in Spain or France. Country of assembly does not affect tire performance or warranty coverage.
Who Owns Michelin and Is It French?
Yes. Michelin is a French company. It was founded in Clermont-Ferrand, France in 1889 and has been headquartered there ever since.
The company is publicly traded on the Euronext Paris exchange, and its major shareholders are institutional investors from around the world, with no single controlling owner.
Despite its French heritage, Michelin is genuinely committed to American manufacturing. The company has invested in U.S. production continuously for decades and employs over 23,000 American workers across 34 North American plants. South Carolina has been one of the world’s most important tire manufacturing states largely because of Michelin’s decades of investment there.
Michelin vs. Bridgestone vs. Goodyear: Where Is Each Brand Made?
Michelin, Bridgestone, and Goodyear are the world’s three largest tire companies by revenue, and all three have significant American manufacturing footprints.
Michelin is French-owned with 36 U.S. facilities led by its South Carolina operations. Bridgestone is a Japanese company with its American headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and major production facilities in Wilson, North Carolina and Warren County, Tennessee. Goodyear is the only American-owned company among the three, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, with U.S. production in Akron, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Topeka, Kansas.
On American tire production, all three brands manufacture a large portion of U.S.-sold tires domestically. Goodyear has the clearest American ownership story, but Michelin’s South Carolina investment is larger in employment terms and Bridgestone’s American plants are among the most technologically advanced on the continent. For other tire brand origins, see Where Are Goodyear Tires Made and Where Are Continental Tires Made.
Frequently Asked Questions About Where Michelin Tires Are Made
Are Michelin tires made in the USA?
Yes. Michelin manufactures a large portion of its U.S.-sold tires at American facilities, primarily in South Carolina, Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. Michelin employs over 23,000 workers across 34 North American manufacturing and support facilities. Some Michelin tires sold in the U.S. are imported from France and other countries, so checking the sidewall DOT code confirms any individual tire’s origin.
Is Michelin a French or American company?
Michelin is a French company, founded in Clermont-Ferrand, France in 1889 and publicly traded on the Euronext Paris exchange. Its North American headquarters is in Greenville, South Carolina, but the global parent company and corporate identity are French. Despite this, the majority of Michelin tires sold in the U.S. market are manufactured at American plants.
Does Michelin own BFGoodrich?
Yes. Michelin acquired BFGoodrich Tire Company in 1990. BFGoodrich tires are manufactured in the same Michelin production network as Michelin-branded tires. Michelin also owns Uniroyal, another American tire brand, which it acquired in 1990 as part of the same transaction that brought BFGoodrich into the group.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.