Bridgestone EMIA (Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa) has announced that several plants across its manufacturing network are slowly ramping up production following shutdowns due to Covid-19. As of today, production has resumed in all Bridgestone plants located in Spain (Burgos, Bilbao and Puente San Miguel) and Russia (Ulyanovsk). The company anticipates that its passenger tyre plant in Bari (Italy) and retreading facility in Lanklaar (Belgium) will restart later this month, while its factories in India, South Africa and France will remain closed for the time being.
Bridgestone’s production facilities in Poland (Poznan and Stargard) and Hungary (Tatabanya) have remained operational throughout this period, but running at reduced capacity.
According to Bridgestone, the restart plans are in response to the demand trend seen in several of its EMIA market segments, including OEM passenger tyres and the commercial sector – which has been less severely affected by the lockdown. Bridgestone EMIA will work closely with its customers and suppliers to ensure adequate supply, while monitoring fluctuation in demand.
Health and safety of employees is a particular concern amid a pandemic, so Bridgestone is taking appropriate preventive measures in accordance with its protocols for the prevention of occupational hazards, and is following the guidance and recommendations of the health authorities to ensure social distancing and adequate protection of its workforce. In addition, procedures and checklists to ensure safety in the workplace have been put in place before resuming or expanding activities.
The company says it continues to monitor the situation closely and abide by the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), as well as government regulations in the countries in which it operates.
