How big of a blow is losing the Michelin tire plant in Ardmore? Here's what we know

Ardmore was stunned but isn't exactly reeling over Michelin's decision to close its tire factory, the city's largest employer, and shed some 1,400 jobs, but only because it will unfold over at least several months.

“That gives us a little bit of time on the job fairs,” Bill Murphy, president and CEO of the Ardmore Development Authority, told The Ardmoreite, the local paper.

Michelin North America told workers and local leaders on Thursday that it would wind up operations at the tire plant by the end of 2025 or sooner. Rubber-mixing operations, which supply other factories, are expected to continue, the company said. Tire production will shift to other plants in North America.

Murphy could not be reached Monday, but The Ardmoreite gave a glimpse of the future for the city of about 25,000 about 100 miles south of Oklahoma City.

What's next for economic developers in Ardmore?

• Murphy told The Ardmoreite there had been a "conceptual discussion" about a task force to help officials understand the challenges that lie ahead.

• Michelin's exact employment needs as it winds down operations are unknown. Murphy said "very aggressive retention bonuses" could keep many workers employed for at least a year "to give us a bit of a runway to work with them" to find new jobs.

• Ardmore will have to adjust to the reality of having so many people working for three large employers. The biggest are Michelin, with 1,400 employees; Dollar General, with more than 1,000; and Mercy Hospital Ardmore, which has nearly 900 employees, according to the development authority.

• Dot Foods and the Chickasaw Nation's new casino and hotel going in at Lake Murray could cushion the employment loss, but not by much, Murphy told The Ardmoreite. Other possibilities are being pursued.

RELATED: Michelin stuns Ardmore with announcement of tire factory shutdown, costing 1,400 jobs

State officials weigh in on Michelin tire factory closure

• “We had no idea this was coming. A plant like this doesn't close with nobody knowing,” Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, House majority floor leader, told KWTV-9. “The Legislature, had it been brought to our attention, would have been interested in how we protect those Oklahoma jobs.”

• Gov. Kevin Stitt said: "Events like this illustrate why it’s important to be the most business friendly state. Business is constantly changing, but Ardmore is a great location with a great workforce, and I have no doubt we will attract more businesses."

• State leaders have tried, and failed, recently to woo Tesla, Volkswagen and Panasonic. Similar concerns to theirs may have affected Michelin's decision, suggested Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn. “When you dig down as to why they didn't pull the trigger to stay with us in the end it is traditionally because we don't invest in our people,” Osborn told KWTV-9. “They want to know that we have quality school systems, that we have good mental health access, that we have excellent roads and bridges, and we’re usually bottom five in most of those indicators."

A look at the Michelin tire factory and property in Ardmore

Michelin has extensive real estate holdings in Ardmore. According to the Carter County assessor's office, they include:

• The main plant, 1101 Michelin Road, built 1970-72, pre-engineered steel with 1,288,899 square feet of space on 108.27 acres, with 599,280 square feet of parking and pavement, plus numerous other office and industrial buildings and structures ranging from 160 to 6,600 square feet.

• Main plant total market value: $27,799,880. Assessed value (for tax purposes): $3,335,985.

• Warehouse at 1901 Cooper Drive in Westport Industrial Park, built in 1991, tilt-up concrete with 755,750 square feet of space on 38.8 acres.

• Warehouse total market value: $19,300,054. Assess value (for tax purposes): $2,316,007.

Sign Up: Weekly newsletter Real Estate with Richard Mize

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Michelin Ardmore OK plant closure: What's next for jobs in small town?