Bridgestone Americas is suspending production at its 15 factories in North and South America beginning March 21. All facilities plan to resume normal operations on or before April 12. The company will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust response plans and activities as necessary. Bridgestone said it has sufficient inventory to meet current demand. The temporary shutdown also will help to align supply to projected demand.
Pirelli Tire North America plans to suspend operations at its factory in Rome, Georgia due to concerns about the coronavirus. Pirelli plans to scale back production for one week beginning March 22 and then suspend production for one week beginning March 29. The factory will be cleaned and sanitized while closed. The week of curtailed production will allow the plant to meet demand while operating with fewer employees present. The reduced production also corresponds to reduced demand. Capacity at the Rome plant is 400,000 PC tires per year.
Pirelli also announced on Thursday that it as suspending production at its plant in Slatina, Romania from March 23-31.