We get lots more cash than abroad

Dundee’s Michelin factory manager boasted that his firm could squeeze more cash out of the Scottish Government than anywhere else in Europe. John Reid made the claim in 2012 after Scottish Enterprise agreed to invest £5.2million in the plant for cutting edge tyre-making equipment in a bid to protect jobs. He said: “They’ve given us a level of grant support, investment support, which is second to none. “If you compare that with the level of support Michelin gets in continental Europe, we got four or five times the average that’s given to Michelin abroad. “That was not only a direct and practical support, because it took away costs from the projects and made them more competitive than our sister plants, but it also demonstrated the value of our relationship with the community and the Scottish Government.” Reid last week joined the action group trying to find a future for Michelin’s Dundee factory.