GRANBY, Quebec (May 23, 2013) — Groupe Robert Bernard has opened a $3 million facility in Granby that is considered the largest Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT)-licensed plant in Canada as well as the only hybrid MRT facility there.
The 70,000-sq.-ft. facility, in Granby Industrial Park, replaces a plant about half that size the dealership had operated in nearby St-Paul d'Abbotsford, Quebec, since 2000.
Like the plant being replaced, the new plant is a hybrid MRT facility, incorporating both the MRT Pre-Mold precure and Custom-Mold mold-cure retread processes. Robert Bernard TRM Ltee., as the group's retreading division is known, was Michelin's first MRT licensee in Canada.
The new plant should be capable of producing up to 95,000 retreads a year, according to Robert Bernard Vice President Jocelyn Bernard, who also said the larger shop will "facilitate better production and storage" and help "reduce wait times for delivery."
The dealership has 50 employees at the new plant, which is in an existing structure that was adapted to its new use.
The former retread plant was retained for storage purposes.
Mr. Bernard, speaking at a May 15 ribbon-cutting for the plant, noted that his company's relationship with Michelin covers the past 45 years. The plant is one of only eight MRT plants in Canada.
The dealership, which operates 18 retail and commercial/retail locations throughout Quebec, is a partner in the Tirecraft Canada Inc. marketing partnership.
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