The short term therefore nous we suffer

Despite the financial crisis and the downturn in key automotive markets, Michelin keeps the course. The world number one of the tire maintains its financial objectives and preparing new investment in India and the Brazil, indicates his boss Michel Rollier in "echoes". Tightening of the conditions, it builds on its competitiveness plan, which should lead to a productivity gain largely superior to the initially targeted 30. The cogérant of the Group also refers to his latest project, "active wheel." Wheels equipped with a miniature engine. They allow to have a cabin without transmission, or tank of gasoline, or engine...

The financial crisis extends. May Michelin be affected

Not in terms of cash. Our Treasury notes are placed well and our cash is placed in a very cautious way. We also have pension funds that have several billion euros of assets. Fortunately, there is virtually not AIG, Lehman assets, or other "toxic" assets The only risk is that the decline in stock we lead to slightly increase our contributions in three to five years.

With the economic downturn, the withdrawal of the automotive market, how do you keep the cap

Michelin is only partially supplier of the automotive industry. This is a phenomenon that distinguishes us from many suppliers: 80 of our sales are the replacement. That said, this summer, the market was low, even on the replacement. September, October and November are going to be important, because they are months traditionally very strong. Expect to see. Should not dramatize the situation today.

On the rise in raw materials, it will be for us an additional 750 million this year, roughly half of our operating margin. It is huge! Natural rubber fell a little, but a little alone, petroleum derivatives remain high. Of course, we are increasing our own prices. But there are still four to six months before an increase in raw materials to be completely reflected in sale prices. The short term, therefore, nous we suffer. The situation will gradually recover. But on 2009.

Is the replacement market low in the world

Seen in the United States and Europe, where the winter tire market is difficult to start. This is not linked to price increases, moving well. Our competitors followed all because they all need that. What are the problems of purchasing power that have an impact on the market. Our distributors and saw that the tires they replaced were often more worn than usual. It is true that the change of a train of tires became one of larger unit expenses of a household. Beyond the purchase of a car, is just behind the holiday. Four tires, it is more expensive than a TV or refrigerator. Prices have increased significantly in five years. The main factor of the increase was the size of the wheels of the vehicle. This is indeed the heavier tires and more complicated to manufacture.

Michelin tires are more expensive than others, should be particularly penalized...

Our tires are perhaps a little more expensive than others for the purchase, but not in user cost, because they last longer and can consume less fuel. Michelin is also gaining market share. However, you should know that in North America Chinese and Korean products greatly increased, reaching at least 15 of the market. These increases were not made against the marks of the Michelin Group, but rather to local brands.

The degradation of the economic climate you grow it to harden your competitiveness plan or alleviate your investments

We have an extremely ambitious competitiveness plan. The priority is to carry out. Today, we are perfectly in line with the objectives announced in October 2006. We always aim for 2010 total economies between 1.5 and 1.7 billion euros. End of June 2008, or after eighteen months of implementation of this plan, we are at 500 million. Over the period 2005-2010, 30 productivity gain should be widely exceeded.

In terms of operating margin, the savings accumulated in 2007 and 2008 are not far from 4 points. Our target of 10 of margin for 2010 is still realistic, in a normal market situation.

Investment, we continue to expand on new markets in growth. We are in discussion advanced to build a factory for heavy and civil engineering in India, and we will increase our capacity for tourism and light truck tires in the Brazil, for the Mercosur market.

In France, you closed sites in Poitiers and Toul. Are there other closures, if the situation deteriorates further

Our plan is really to make the most of our plants. We arrive either by size or by specialization. An example, the Bourges plant was tourism and aircraft tires. Has specialized it on the plane to make it competitive on the market. But there may be cases, as at Toul, where, for structural reasons, could not lead the factory where it should be.

In total in the world, natural attrition and turnover should result in 30,000 departures between 2008 and 2012, North America and Europe mainly. We will recruit 15,000 people at the same time. It is to produce more, with less world.

Where is the reclassification of the staff of Toul

On nearly 900 employees, we have recently launched the reclassification of a first wave of 300 people. About 150 have already employment identified, including in other Michelin sites solution. Over a short period of time, it is, I think, a success. We will continue this pace.

Does the increase in raw urge you to lighten tire

Of course. This can represent 8-10 gain, according to the models. But we want that this effort does not degrade the quality of our tires, instead. And we do. The Energy Saver, which reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, is also less heavy, lasts longer and provides even better security.

You have set up, for your builder clients, an indexing system for the price of tires on the oil, with increases as soon as oil climbs to $ 5. And when it down, you turn

This will be the case as soon as the rules that we have established with our customers will lead to the decline. But today, for us, raw does virtually not declined.

Continental is not willing to shed its tyre division air. Are there other possible acquisition files

There will necessarily be concentrations, especially China where there is a lot of players. For the rest, we are very pragmatic. We are instead of organic growth, but keep the eyes and ears open.

Must major tyre producers now stay focused on their business or, instead, diversify

There is one example of a tyre which also manufactures other automotive components, it is Continental. After there much reflection, we are not us diversify out of the tire. At one point, it was thought that the electronic détrônerait the tire, that all the progress of assistance to the operation of the vehicle systems would that could put anything on wheels. We do not believe this template. There is still much to do on the tire.

In the world, you have two technological partnerships with Heuliez and Venturi. You have enough to be considered only in the tyre and carbon black

It is true that the tire is a black, not very sexy, product purchased with less than pleased that a new car. We work on all aspects related to the behaviour of the vehicle. Therefore, we have developed internal prototypes of "active wheels", a solution that we will offer to the automotive industry. The Interior of these wheels, there is an electric motor miniaturized, and the suspension and brakes. The cabin has more or transmission, or tank of gasoline, or engine. Heuliez and Venturi are our first partners, perhaps because they are niche players. As a first step, we are going to do pre-production with them. But we have discussions with many manufacturers around the world, particularly in Asia.