Bridgestone EMIA has resumed production at its European manufacturing plants in Italy (Bari), Belgium (Lanklaar) and France (Béthune). This move comes following an announcement on 14 April that production in all Bridgestone plants located in Spain (Burgos, Bilbao and Puente San Miguel) and Russia (Ulyanovsk) had recommenced. With the additional facilities back online, Bridgestone EMIA’s full manufacturing network has restarted production with the exception of its Indian and South African plants, which remain closed for now.
The Bridgestone plants were 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 tyres now beginning to rise again, the business has made the decision to resume production in order to ensure adequate supply.
To help ensure the health and safety of employees at the reopened plants, Bridgestone is following the guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and government regulations in the countries in which it operates. In addition, the business has implemented 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.
