Michelin to create ‘destination’ shop on Main

"With this public space in the exceptionally vital and growing downtown, we now will be able to interact with our community and with visitors to Greenville in a direct and meaningful way."
Jim Micali, Chairman and President, Michelin North America

Michelin on Main

Michelin North America is reaching out to consumers – something the company is not normally able to do through the sale of its products by third-party vendors. It plans to open Michelin on Main in the RiverPlace development.

New facility: Michelin on Main, the first retail, heritage and event facility the company has opened.

Address: 550 S. Main St.
Size: 2,600 square feet; 24-foot high ceiling
Amenities: 700-square-foot glass mezzanine
Potential activities: Interactive video games and heritage exhibits
Mobile display: Capable of holding 5,000 pound car, part of space shuttle, motorcycle, part of truck
Michelin Merchandise: Clothing, art, crystal, watches, die cast models
Expected opening date: Midsummer

“With this public space in the exceptionally vital and growing downtown, we now will be able to interact with our community and with visitors to Greenville in a direct, meaningful way.”

Bob Hughes, RiverPlace developer, said, Michelin on Main “adds to the excitement of downtown. I can’t wait. We want RiverPlace to be a gathering place” and this project should add to that.

Construction of the interior of the 2,600-square-foot store, with 24-foot ceilings, is expected to begin in weeks with the facility to open in midsummer, Jacobs said, adding the schedule is “very aggressive.”

Michelin officials said they were not yet able to release the investment, but it is “significant.”

Part of the “wow factor,” Jacobs said, is a planned 700-square-foot glass mezzanine suspended from the ceiling. People will be able to walk up on the mezzanine and look out the glass windows fronting the store or down through the opaque glass floor.

Also in the project’s plans are interactive games, information kiosks and a Michelin Man character with a camera so visitors can take their picture with him.

“There’s no question that people have an affinity for the Michelin Man,” he said.

Also, Michelin on Main will explain the heritage of Michelin with interactive displays, Jacobs said.

“There’s a really interesting story there and they’re bringing it to the street,” Stone said.

The store will be built in modules, and “we can reconfigure everything” there, Jacobs said.

Michelin on Main also expects to hold various events in the store. For example, Michelin workers who carve tire treads could demonstrate their craft and then visitors could do some carving on their own. Or youngsters could create the Michelin Man in clay for display at the store. Perhaps during the USA Pro Cycling Championships (road race and time trails in Greenville, Michelin on Main could highlight the company’s start as a maker of bicycle tires.
Also, special events could include field trips for students, space for mobility and sustainability exhibits and receptions.

“This gives Michelin a real presence in downtown Greenville,” Hughes said. “I expect this to be bold.”

Although staffing plans are not complete, Michelin on Main will create some jobs, Jacobs said. Hiring could begin in the early summer, and some employees could be Michelin retirees who already have knowledge of Michelin and its philosophy.

Michelin currently is negotiating with an architect and a general contractor although it has preliminary plans and has conducted a feasibility study, he said.