Incorporated in 1888, founding brothers Édouard and André Michelin started the Michelin Rubber Factory in Paris, France. The small Rubber Company has now grown into the world largest tire manufacturer. The first MICHELIN® Radial tire was introduced in 1946, titled the X Tire. The design of the X Tire is now the standard design of current world passenger and light truck tires, with minor improvements added over the years. Michelin has grown steadily in size, and in 2007, the company employed 113,500 people in several countries around the world. Since 2008, MICHELIN® has been the largest tire manufacturer in the world, surpassing Bridgestone. MICHELIN® attributes the success of the company to the vision, "Contribute to the Progress of Mobility". MICHELIN® applies this vision to the employees, company values, the consumer, the environment, and the extremely high standards of being a responsible member of society. MICHELIN® is the only Tire Manufacturer to win the J.D. Power and Associates award every year since the founding of the survey.