Michelin
The French company Michelin is primarily a tyre manufacturer. It invented the radial design used by nearly all modern tyres. Michelin also publishes a popular series of road maps and travel guides. Michelin is based in the town of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne region of France.Michelin's activities date back to 1830 in the vulcanized caoutchouc, then tyres for bicycles later for cars. Michelin owned the automobile manufacturer Citroën between 1934 and 1976.
The current CEO is François Michelin.
The Michelin Man
The company identifies itself with the Michelin Man, which was introduced in 1898 and is one of the world's oldest trademarks. André Michelin apparently commissioned the creation of this jolly, rotund figure after his brother, Édouard, observed that a display of stacked tyres resembled a human form. Today the "Michelin Man" is one of the world's most recognized trademarks, representing Michelin in over 150 countries. The Michelin Man's real nickname is the Bibendum, from the latin sentence Nunc est bibendum ("Now, we must drink it") used as a slogan by Michelin in the early 20th century: the tyres were supposed to "drink" the road and give a smooth ride.
The Restaurant guide ("Red Guide")
Founder André Michelin (January 1 1853 - April 4 1931) first published in 1900 a restaurant guide to help wealthy, gastronomically-oriented individuals choose restaurants while travelling. This guide is the oldest and best-known European restaurant guide. Its restaurant ratings (one to three Michelin stars) are probably the most famous and influential gastronomic ratings in the world. The guide lists restaurants in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the UK.
Michelin stars are taken very seriously in the restaurant business, where the addition or loss of a star can mean a difference in turnover of millions of euros. In February, 2003, a prominent French chef, Bernard Loiseau, committed suicide when his widely-admired restaurant Côte d'Or in Saulieu, Burgundy, was rumoured to be in danger of a downgrade by Michelin from three to two stars. However, most news reports attributed this suicide to a downgrade by the rival Gault Millau guide, the Michelin guide having stated he would not be downgraded.
See also: List of French companies