In 1997, the tire business of Avon Rubber of Melksham, Wiltshire, in the United Kingdom was sold to Cooper, so that Avon could concentrate on its core businesses of automotive components, technical products, and protective equipment. Cooper Tire remained a major employer in central Melksham, which was Cooper's European headquarters. In 2018, production was reduced to motorsport racing and motorcycle tires after non-specialist production was moved to Serbia, and in October 2022 the company announced plans to close the Melksham site by the end of 2023.
