Being Assigned

Well, I have finally been assigned not only a city but a factory/plant. I will be working in Clermont-Ferrand, the capital of banking and tires in France. This is where Michelin's international headquarters are located, and several plants, if I remember correctly. I will be working in Combaude, with rechapage, which means re-tread. I don't know what type of tires they make at the facility, but the email said "Poids Lourd", which means heavy weight in English. The plant has about 500 people in it.

My "mission" is to study and combine posts to gain effectiveness. I will be doing other "missions" in parallel to this one, but what I do not understand. The problem is that even though I have already worked with Michelin, I was not shown all the parts of the administrative process and therefore have small ideas as to what other plants do and use in their respective plants. Although it is the same company, the French & American plants are run differently, use different softwares, etc. They use the same acronyms, so I can come in already ready to tackle other things and not just the knowledge of how do you make a tire, etc.

I'm a bit scared, and I believe I have every right to be so. I'm moving to a different country and I still have no idea where I'm living, when I'm leaving, and when I'm returning... I am ready to know all this information so I can plan. I live to plan. So does my mother, I believe I get it from her.

Some cool information about Clermont-Ferrand:

• The same guy who created the Statue of Liberty created a statue of Vercingetorix, a French hero, that sits in a public square
• recently started to use a Guided Light Transit, of which I am sure I will discover more when I get over there....
• hosts one of the world's leading international short film festivals... 
• it was the home of Pascal, a famous scientist
• held the French Grand Prix 4 times
• home of Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the president of France from 1974-1981

Pretty cool, right?