As consumers, a lot of us try to get the most out of our money. It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for bread at the grocery store or buying a car. The same is especially true when it comes to motorcycles, as well as all things associated with them.
That being said, manufacturers are continuously trying to find ways to cut costs and bring more affordable goods to the market, all while preserving the quality and performance of the stuff they sell. And nowhere is this more true than in the tire business.
You see, in a bid to reduce costs and address infrastructure and logistics concerns, Dunlop has decided that the time has come to close the doors of its tire factory in Buffalo, New York. The announcement came from none other than Sumitomo Rubber, Dunlop’s parent company in key markets all over the world. The Japanese tire giant explained that Dunlop has manufacturing facilities in Japan, as well as in many other parts of the world.
Those facilities will take over the tires produced in the Buffalo factory.
And while companies closing shop in the US in search of lowered costs are by no means new stories, they always leave a trail of devastation in their wake. And in Dunlop’s case, that devastation will be felt by more than 1,500 employees who have lost their jobs as a result of the plant’s immediate shutdown.
Sure, Dunlop stated that it has notified the United Steelworkers Union about its closure and that the company is working on severance packages and putting its workforce on various job placement support services. But seriously, all this will do little to ease the burden on these employees who have relied on the factory to put food on the table all these years. So yeah, this situation sucks no matter how you look at it.
As for the future of Dunlop tires in North America, well, Sumitomo Rubber said that the company will continue testing, and research and development in the US, but the exact location of these initiatives has yet to be decided on. Meanwhile, Dunlop’s motorcycle-specific range of tires will continue to be made available, and as mentioned earlier, will be produced in Dunlop’s manufacturing facilities in other parts of the world.
Our hearts go out to those who lost their jobs during the closure of Dunlop’s New York factory. We wish you the best of luck in transitioning to the next phase of your careers.
Sources: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, Cycle News
