In January 1991, Eau Claire’s Uniroyal tire plant employees received devasting news: after 75 years of manufacturing tires, the plant was scheduled to close. As the city struggled to overcome the loss of its largest employer, the former employees struggled to find their footing in a quickly changing world. What would happen next was anyone’s guess. But if the city hoped to survive, it was up to its citizens to figure out how.

“When Rubber Hits the Road” is more than a story about tires. It’s the story of a Midwestern city’s attempt to reinvent itself in the wake of America’s manufacturing decline. It’s a blueprint, too, for how a community can bounce back—when people commit themselves to embracing change.

Please see the Downtown Micon Cinema page for showtimes and pre-sale tickets. Join documentarians Steve Dayton and B.J. Hollars and special guests on May 17 and May 18’s 6PM shows.