Bridgestone EMIA has announced that several plants across its manufacturing network will slowly ramp up production in response to business and customer needs.

As of Tuesday (April 14), production resumed in all plants located in Spain (Burgos, Bilbao and Puente San Miguel) and Russia (Ulyanovsk).

The passenger tyre plant in Bari (Italy) and retreading facility in Lanklaar (Belgium) are anticipated to restart later this month.

Factories in India, South Africa and France will remain closed for the time being.

Production facilities in Poland (Poznan and Stargard) and Hungary (Tatabanya) have remained operational throughout this period, but have been running at reduced capacity.

The restart plans reflect the demand trend seen in several of Bridgestone EMIA’s market segments, including OEM passenger tyres and the commercial sector – which has been less severely affected by the economic downturn.

Bridgestone EMIA says it is continuing to work closely with its customers and suppliers to ensure adequate supply, while closely monitoring fluctuation in demand.

It also insisted that the health and safety of employees remains the most important priority. Therefore, Bridgestone is taking the 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 to ensure social distancing and adequate protection of its workforce.

In addition, thorough procedures and checklists to ensure safety in the workplace have been put in place before resuming or expanding activities, it said.

The company 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 countries in which it operates.

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