graham huband business editor

In many folks’ eyes, John Reid is the saviour of Michelin Dundee.

By 2009 Michelin’s main operational board in Clermont Ferrand, France, had earmarked the Baldovie facility – Dundee’s largest industrial site, with almost 1,000 workers – for the chop.

Morale was low, the working environment was poor and production output was significantly below standard for the group. It was only a matter of time before the gates to Baldovie slammed shut.

But almost a decade later, Michelin stands proud and hundreds of workers who could have found themselves on the dole remain in work.

It started with efforts to re-engage the workforce, continued with simple measures to clean up and paint the workshops, and pushed on with the, frankly unlikely, securing of millions of pounds of new investment from Michelin centrally.

It is now one of the best-performing factories in Michelin’s global network.

The transformation of a once-tired factory was complete when the Queen visited its new tyre warehouse and production line extension in 2016.

At her side was John Reid, who designed, coordinated and oversaw the reinvigoration of the forlorn Dundee site from the day he took the reins as factory manager in 2010.

The announcement of John’s departure from Dundee comes in a black week for the company locally following a damaging employment tribunal judgment.

Michelin and the Dundee management team got that wrong, but it should not cloud the other achievements of John’s tenure.

Make no mistake, John Reid’s departure is a loss to the city and its business community.

I can only hope his successor will have as great an impact and ensure Michelin Dundee remains fighting fit for decades to come.