Bridgestone Corporation announced closure of two of its European plants on Tuesday and a downscale in production at all the others in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company announced that its Bethune plant in France and the Bari plant in Italy will be closed until 6 April.
These other plants which will operate at a reduced capacity are:
- Bridgestone's Bilbao, Puente San Miguel and Burgos plants in Spain,
- Lanklaar plant in Belgium,
- Stargard and Poznan plants in Poland, and
- Tatabanya plant in Hungary.
Bridgestone said that the decision has been taken to make the required changes to align its supply "with predicted demand in the current market.
"The company has sufficient product supply to meet customer demand and its distribution centres, plant warehouses and logistics teams will continue to fill orders. The company will continue to evaluate the situation on a need basis."
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For the plants that do remain operational, the company said that it will be taking "appropriate preventive measures in accordance with its protocols for the prevention of occupational hazards, and strictly following the guidance and recommendations of the health authorities in all its work centers.
It also added that thorough procedures and checklists to ensure safety in the workplace have been put in place.
"Bridgestone's chief priority during this unprecedented time is to ensure the well-being and safety of its employees and the integrity of its operations."
The decision by tyre manufacturer comes a few days after Bridgestone's American subsidiary - Bridgestone Americas announced its decision to suspend production at its factories in North America and Latin America from March 21 through or before April 12.
