Michelin promotes Clemson, USC graduate to top position in North America (2024)

GREENVILLE — French tire manufacturer Michelin promoted a graduate of two South Carolina universities to its top position in North America.

Matthew Cabe, who previously served as the company's senior vice president of regional brands based in Budapest, Hungary, will relocate to Greenville to lead the U.S. and Canada operations as CEO starting Oct. 1.

He succeeds Alexis Garcin, whose next position within Michelin will be announced at a later date, the company said.

Upstate-based Michelin North America Inc. covers the U.S. and Canadian markets and employs about 23,500 workers across 35 sites. Concurrent with his new role the company, Cabe also joins the board of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with our team in the North American region to serve our customers and drive the business forward," Cabe said in a written statement.

Michelin operates about six manufacturing plants in South Carolina, or about half of the total within the Palmetto State, which is the nation's largest exporter of tires.

Cabe has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University and a master’s in business administration from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

He's worked in various roles at Michelin for nearly 20 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Cabe previously was based in Greenville from 2017 to 2021.