The Dunlop Motorsport factory at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham — which manufactures some of Dunlop’s motorcycle race tyres — is in jeopardy after its landlord sold a new lease on the 11-acre site to Jaguar Land Rover for an expansion of Jaguar’s adjacent Castle Bromwich plant.
Dunlop’s current lease expires in May 2014. Its 180 employees at the facility have been informed of this sudden development, although full implications are not yet clear.
“We have a robust contingency plan to ensure continued supply of our tyres to our key customers,” said Dunlop Motorsport Europe general manager Jean-Felix Bazelin in a statement. “Our aim is to assess impact and evaluate possible alternatives.