Bridgestone: Suspended operations at 11 plants in Japan Decreasing tire demand 18:06 April 20
Bridgestone, a major tire manufacturer, has decided to suspend operations at 11 factories in Japan from the end of this month to the next month, as demand for tires has decreased due to the new coronavirus.
Bridgestone will stop operations from 29th of this month to 8th of next month at Kurume and Amagi plants in Fukuoka Prefecture, as well as in Tochigi, Shiga, Saga, and Yamaguchi prefectures.
6 days of temporary holidays will be added to the originally planned holidays due to the long holidays.
In addition, another factory in Saga will be shut down for four days next month, while some plants in Kumamoto and Gifu will be shutting down some lines for two days next month.
Eleven of Bridgestone's 15 factories in Japan will be suspended as demand for automobile and construction equipment tires is declining due to the new coronavirus.
Approximately 9,000 employees work at these plants, but they are expected to pay a certain amount of allowance based on company regulations during the suspension of operations.