Bridgestone EMIA is today (20 April) resuming production at its European manufacturing plants in Bari (Italy) and Lanklaar (Belgium).
The Béthune (France) plant will reopen 21 April, 2020.
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The move follows an announcement on 14 April production in all Bridgestone plants located in Spain (Burgos, Bilbao and Puente San Miguel) and Russia (Ulyanovsk), had restarted. The development means Bridgestone EMIA’s full manufacturing network has restarted production with the exception of its Indian and South African plants, which remain closed for now.
Bridgestone plants were originally closed in reaction to the widespread drop in demand for tyre products, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with business and customer needs for Bridgestone tyres now beginning to rise again, the business has made the decision to resume production in order to ensure adequate supply.
“The Covid-19 situation remains severe nonetheless, which is why the health and safety of Bridgestone employees at the reopened plants remains the key priority,” said a Bridgestone statement.
“Bridgestone continues to strictly follow the guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and government regulations in the countries in which it operates. In addition, the business has implemented thorough procedures and checklists in accordance with its protocols for the prevention of occupational hazards to ensure social distancing and adequate protection of its workforce.
“Bridgestone continues to monitor both the ongoing health situation and the fluctuation in demand for its products very closely during this time.”
