It was in 2002 that Edouard Michelin articulated the mission of the North American tire manufacturing company with impressive eloquence, while truly encapsulating the driving force behind the company for so many years. Mr. Michelin stated, "We have one profession and one mission: contribute to long-term progress in the field of mobility."

The statement itself could at first glance appear slightly overly dramatic, until one considers, not only the importance of the field that Michelin Tires works within, but also the work and the advances the company has made.

Michelin Tires does research and development, production and sales in the different areas of: motorcycles, trucks, heavy-duty construction equipment, agricultural machines, aircrafts and, of course, cars. This is quite a list for a company that has more public awareness dedicated to a plump albino than for putting years of innovation to ensure that airplanes can land safely or that farmers can operate more efficiently to ultimately put food on the tables of countless families.

So, since 1889 the makers of Michelin Tires, the Michelin Group, has quietly gone about the business of making the lives of people everywhere better and safer. And with such a high commitment of research and continued innovation, it appears that we can rest assured that we'll continue to be able to live safer for years to come.