As the coronavirus continues to spread, Tire Review reached out to tire manufacturers to see how their companies are responding to this global pandemic and the economic challenges that have come with it.
Scroll below to see how manufacturers are currently responding to the coronavirus outbreak. Sumitomo Tire North America declined to respond at this time.
American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., LTD (Kenda Tire USA)
In a statement to Tire Review, American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., LTD detailed its operations during the coronavirus pandemic.
“As Kenda operates globally, all of our tire manufacturing facilities are in production. We ship to the Americas from Vietnam, Taiwan and China and all facilities are operating and shipping to allow us to support our OE and replacement customers with supply chains intact.
“In the U.S., Kenda is operating within the state-mandated guidelines to prioritize our employees’ and customers’ health and safety. As our operations and production facilities are all designated as ‘essential’ – we continue to service and provide products for the industries with need.
“Our headquarters and regional personnel are operating in office or at home to assure recommended “social distancing.” We have our employee and customer safety concerns as primary.
“Kenda is supplying masks to various areas around Europe and Asia in need. We are working in local communities in the U.S. near our facilities to supply support and aid too.”
Apollo Vredestein
Apollo Tyres said in a statement March 23 that it is scaling back production in its European plants in Hungary and the Netherlands, in addition to taking measures to protect its workforce in line with government health advisory and measures. The company also suspended production at its four manufacturing facilities in India, according to a Mar. 24 article from Business Insider India.
“Coronavirus has largely impacted our production and distribution across the tire industry,” the company said in a press release. “The production for passenger car tires in the Netherlands will cease as of Friday, March 27, initially for a two-week period. As there is a strong need for agricultural tires across Europe, the production of certain critical tire sizes will continue to support this demand, but under strict measures and only in line with local health advisory.”
The company’s Hungary plant is due to be shut down March 28 for a two-week period. Plans to fully reopen both plants will be announced as the company continues to evaluate the market conditions and health and safety of its employees. Apollo Vredestein’s sales and distribution channels remain open under strict precautions to ensure the safety of its employees, the company said.
On March 20, the Apollo Tyres Leadership Team announced they would take a voluntary reduction in pay due to the impact of COVID-19 on the automotive industry. Onkar S. Kanwar, chairman and managing director, and the Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman and MD, will reduce their salary by 25%. The company’s senior management team has also taken a voluntary reduction in their salary by 15% “in a show of solidarity due to the rapidly deteriorating market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” a press release from Apollo says.
BKT
The BKT headquarters, as well as the manufacturing facilities of BKT in India — where the government has declared a lockdown as a means to contain the virus and save the lives of the citizens — will remain closed until the end of April 14. Customer service and sales support are available.
BKT Europe, which includes logistics, technical assistance, marketing, customer service and sales support, have been available since the end of February and its usual activities remain unchanged. The headquarters, located in Seregno, Northern Italy, is in contact with the European original equipment customers, managing each situation on a case per case basis, within the most punctual timeframes possible.
“We are experiencing a truly terrible time and we are hoping with all our hearts that it will pass very soon”, says Lucia Salmaso, CEO of BKT Europe. “We are making the most of this time and are collecting energy and ideas in order to be ready and more competitive when things get back to normal. This emergency situation has given us the opportunity to think about the future and be creative, with the clear understanding that, in these times, the absolute priority remains the safety of our staff and the implementation of measures to contain the risks. Strength and resilience are among our most important values, and this is why, I believe that we – together with all those who work with us – will get through this.”
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has announced plans to restart its North American commercial tire plants as well as its North American Firestone Industrial Products and Firestone Building Products manufacturing facilities on April 13.
Bridgestone says its start-up plans reflect the performance trend in several key areas of its commercial and diversified products businesses not as severely affected by the current crisis. Bridgestone Bandag’s retread rubber manufacturing plants in North America resumed operations the week of March 29, due to demand by essential service providers. The company says it continues to work closely with its customers and partners to ensure adequate supply, while closely monitoring volatility in demand.
To ensure the health and safety of employees, Bridgestone says plants resuming operations will do so in alignment with the latest safety protocol guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Bridgestone says its passenger tire plants in North America, as well as all plants in Latin America are scheduled to resume operations by the first week of May, with some facilities potentially opening sooner.
The company says it has sufficient supply of original equipment and consumer replacement product to meet customer demand, but continues to align supply to current market demand. The company’s distribution centers, plant warehouses and logistics teams are continuing to fill orders.
Rachel Withers, director of communications, Bridgestone Americas, Inc., issued the following statement on behalf of Bridgestone Americas:
“Our most important priority is to ensure the well-being and safety of our employees and the integrity of our operations. We are continuing to monitor advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), as well as government regulations in countries where our teammates work and travel to update our global response plans.
“At this time, we’ve had no significant impact to our global supply of product to customers. We are continuing to monitor the supply situation daily and taking additional steps such as, but not limited to, securing additional supply and capacity as needed. Cross-functional teams throughout our global operations are meeting regularly to assess the impacts to the regions in which we operate as well as mitigate any potential impacts to our supply chain.
“We are also working very closely with our OE customers around the world to assess their needs and taking appropriate action to ensure business continuity. As they continue to make decisions on their global production and supply needs, we will make adjustments, as necessary.
“In addition, we also continue to assess the impact to our retail stores and our teammates providing service to our retail customers. As this situation continues to rapidly evolve on a global basis, it is still premature to speculate on short- and long-term impact to our overall business performance.”
CMA/Double Coin
With the global outbreak of COVID-19, Tim L. Phillips, vice president of marketing and operations, said in a statement that CMA/Double Coin has implemented a word-from-home policy for staff able to do so.
He said the company’s seven North American warehouse facilities will remain open and are operational.
“We do not have any slowdown of direct container shipments coming into the country from our Thailand plant. Additionally, we have put in place safe practice measures for all of our facilities as recommended by the CDC,” he said. “We greatly appreciate our team and the loyalty of our customers, and we look forward to the end of this global crisis.”
Continental Tire the Americas
In a statement to Tire Review, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, said the following:
“Continental Tire is closely monitoring the potential impact of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as it continues to spread, with significant impact on industrial production and the flow of goods worldwide.
“As the health of our employees, suppliers and customers is of the highest importance to us, we have been implementing our own health and safety measures in all countries affected. As a result, we are gradually adapting production in our tire plants around the world, including in North America, in coordination with our customers and suppliers.
“We are making every effort to keep the impact of any temporary production modification as minimal as possible. We have deliberately strengthened our inventory over the last few days and our warehouses are well-equipped. Therefore, currently we do not expect supply shortages of locally produced or imported tires, however, we would like to emphasize that the situation remains highly dynamic.
“Please understand that we cannot give an individual overview of plant shutdowns, as the situation remains highly dynamic and local regulations vary from plant to plant.”
Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is restarting operations at its tire manufacturing plant in El Salto, Mexico beginning April 13.
Measures to protect the health and safety of employees, including social distancing, additional cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, restricted visitor access and other necessary steps will be in effect as employees return to work. The announcement of the plant’s temporary closure due to coronavirus impacts was made March 21.
Cooper plants in the United States, which are located in Findlay, Ohio; Clarksdale and Tupelo, Mississippi; and Texarkana, Arkansas, remain temporarily closed. The company says it expects these plants to remain temporarily closed for at least another two weeks from now. Cooper will continue to monitor the situation and adjust timing as necessary.
Cooper plants in Europe also continue to be temporarily closed. The company’s plants in China continue to operate.
Cooper says it believes it has sufficient supply of product in inventory, and the company’s distribution centers continue to operate and flow product to customers.
In March, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company said it would temporarily shut down its tire manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico and Europe to protect the health and safety of employees and respond to market demand that has been impacted by the coronavirus. The company announced April 3 that its tire manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Mexico will remain closed for at least another two weeks.
The process of phasing down production at its U.S. plants began March 21 and will proceed on a rolling schedule over the coming week, with facilities expected to be closed for two to three weeks. Phasing down production at Cooper’s European plants, located in Melksham, England and Kruševac, Serbia, will begin in the coming days, and each facility is expected to be closed for at least three weeks, the company said. Cooper will continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust timelines as necessary.
Cooper’s plants in China, which reopened several weeks ago and have continued to ramp up production, remain in operation.
Cooper said it is also closely monitoring supply chain and product inventory levels as it focuses on continuing to serve customers. The company says it believes it currently has a sufficient supply of products and will continue to operate distribution centers until further notice to meet customer needs.
Giti Tire USA
Giti Tire announced it will extend the production suspension at its U.S. manufacturing facility in South Carolina, until May 4 to adjust for unimproved market conditions due to the impact of COVID-19. Giti had temporarily suspended production at that facility from April 5-19.
Production in Chester County, South Carolina, ceased April 5, though Giti Tire has continued its sales and distribution operations. The company says it does not anticipate any supply interruption to dealers and customers.
Giti Tire says it continues to monitor and follow CDC, FEMA, and federal, state and local government guidelines and protocols to ensure the health and safety of employees, customers, suppliers and communities in all aspects of operations.
When production resumes, Giti Tire will initiate operations in a controlled manner while monitoring the market and working closely with our dealers, the company says.
Giti Tire USA issued the following statement to Tire Review regarding its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic:
“Giti is closely monitoring and following local authority orders, CDC and FEMA guidelines to ensure the health and safety, not only of our employees, but also our customers, suppliers and community. Since a few weeks ago, we have taken the following actions: restrictions in travels, postponement of events, telecommuting of office employees, enforcement of social distancing, distribution of additional PPE to employees, additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures for common areas and in high exposure areas and other safety protocols in the distribution centers and manufacturing plant.
“Giti is committed to serving our customers and industry in spite of this unprecedented pandemic; we will continue to evaluate business and will make necessary adjustments as needed in a timely manner.”
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
In light of the ongoing decline in market demand resulting from the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the Americas region, Goodyear says it is currently extending the temporary suspension of operations at all Americas manufacturing plants until further notice.
The company says it is closely monitoring market demand signals, inventory and supply levels, and warehouse and distribution operations to continue delivery of Goodyear products.
A phased shut down will begin across the company’s tire, retread and chemical plants in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the United States over the coming days. Its facility in Peru was closed mid-March.
In related news, Rich Kramer, CEO and chairman of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., took a 50% pay cut – while other senior executives will have their pay cut 30%, with portions of those cuts as deferments – as a reaction to the negative economic effects of COVID-19, the Canton Repository reported April 3 and Goodyear confirmed April 7.
Other managers will be taking smaller salary reductions. The Canton Repository also reported Goodyear is furloughing employees, cutting salaries, which is affecting all 4,000 of Goodyear’s U.S. employees, some 60% of whom work in Akron and others around the world.
In a statement to Tire Review, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said the following:
“During this unprecedented and extremely fluid situation, Goodyear’s top priorities are the health and wellbeing of our associates and service to our customers. We are closely monitoring both inventory levels and supply of raw materials and have optimized our warehouse and distribution operations to continue delivery of Goodyear products.
“All associates who are able to perform their roles remotely have been encouraged to work from home, and manufacturing plants in Europe and the Americas have begun a temporary shutdown of operations.
“For Goodyear facilities that continue to operate, we have put in place preventative measures to help protect associates and reduce the overall spread of COVID-19, including additional cleaning and availability of sanitizing products; limiting visitors to business-critical guests only; and practicing appropriate social distancing.
“We can’t comment on any potential business implications beyond an expected impact on first-quarter sales.”
Hankook Tire
Hankook Tire announced Mar. 25 that it will begin a temporary shutdown of its U.S. manufacturing facility, located in Clarksville, Tenn., in order to protect the health and safety of its employees in response to market demand that is being impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Production at the plant will be temporarily halted for two weeks between March 30 and April 12, the company said. Hankook said will continue to monitor the situation and make necessary adjustments to protect its employees and stakeholders in accordance with CDC guidelines, state or local restrictions, supplier constraints and dealer stock requirements.
Hankook’s U.S. warehouses, including the one located at the Tennessee plant, will continue to operate. Hankook plants in Asia will support the U.S. region, if necessary, by providing production assistance, shipment and supply of raw materials, the company said. Hankook does not anticipate any interruption in sales.
While Hankook Tire America Corp. is currently open and operating, a Hankook spokesperson said the company expects that coronavirus will impact business in some capacity, but it’s too soon to tell how.
As a Hankook policy, all employees and partners have postponed any unnecessary travel, the spokesperson said. For employees and partners who travel for personal reasons, the company has asked that they self-quarantine for two weeks as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hankook said it is also “working on a number of strategies to enhance e-commerce in light of the current situation and are evaluating and adjusting plant activities as needed through the second quarter.”
“Currently there is a lot of unknown, and it depends on what happens as events unfold in the United States over the next three to four weeks,” a Hankook spokesperson said in a statement. “Hankook facilities are connected worldwide, and we are ready to step in where we are needed to support the facilities if they need our help. We are already seeing automotive manufacturing plants shutting down worldwide, so we would expect a fall-off in OE demand. It’s a difficult time for everyone right now and we hope that the economic conditions will begin to recover in the second half of 2020. Meanwhile, we will take strategies to secure profitability given the decline in the prices of raw materials.”
Kumho Tire USA
Kumho Tire USA announced Mar. 27 that its Macon, Georgia manufacturing plant will be shut down from April 1-8 in response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation.
Plant leadership will use the downtime for a cleaning service to conduct a thorough cleaning and sanitizing of the plant as an additional COVID-19 health and safety precaution beyond those previously taken and currently in place, Kumho said. There have been no known employee or contractor confirmed COVID-19 cases at the facility, the company said.
Kumho Tire’s plants located in South Korea and Vietnam will support all U.S. market needs. The company does not anticipate any changes to supply availability or SCM operations.
Michelin North America
Michelin North America, Inc., began a temporary, phased shutdown of some of its tire production facilities in the United States and Canada due to the effects of the coronavirus
The company said the phased suspension of some manufacturing will begin immediately and, based on the current outlook, will last for at least two weeks. The affected production currently excludes vital and critical tires for the country’s economic continuity. Distribution and logistics activities will continue to support customers through existing inventories, Michelin says.
The company said it will continue to follow all guidelines and directions from state, local or provincial governments, with the goal of limiting the spread of the virus.
“While we are facing some supply chain disruption, our components, semi-finishes and products are still able to circulate,” the company says.
As the situation changes we will make adjustments to our production accordingly. It is still too early to assess any possible impact this situation could have on our industry long-term.”
The Michelin Group said in a statement released March 19 that global passenger car and light truck tire markets are down 9% year-on-year and the truck tire market is down 16%, according to Michelin market data as of the end of February 2020.
The Group is taking “all the measures required to safeguard the health of its employees” and has decided to close its production facilities in the European countries most affected by COVID-19 for at least one week, the statement said. The Group said its guidance for 2020 will also be revised due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
In early April, Florent Menegaux and Yves Chapot, managing partners of the Michelin Group, chose to reduce their pay by around 25% for the months of April and May 2020, the company says.
In addition, the members of the group’s executive committee have voluntarily decided to reduce their pay by around 10% during the same period. These reductions will be continued as long as group employees are in partial activity due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the company says.
The chairman of the Michelin Group supervisory board, Michel Rollier, and its independent members are joining this effort by donating 25% of their attendance fees received in 2020 to foundations in their respective countries, the company says.
Nexen Tire America
John Hagan, executive vice president of sales at Nexen Tire America, said that Nexen is not experiencing any manufacturing delays, but the company will follow the global demand.
“As of today, March 20, we are limiting physical interactions as much as possible in order to follow our company and customers’ policies on visitations and meetings. That being said, we are able to practice social distancing while still being available to our customers via telephone, video conferencing and other means via technology. Our dealer meeting has been postponed, motorsports events such as Formula Drift, Hot Import Nights and off-road events have all been either postponed or canceled, and consumer events such as Man City Cup and FCA Spring Fest have been postponed.
“We will help [our tire dealer and distributor customers] in any way feasible. We understand it’s a very difficult time, and we will manage together and get through. Our sales team is constantly talking to our customers and ensuring we are always available for conversations.
“We’re still analyzing the impact of this situation, but there is no doubt about it, these are dire situations. With non-essential businesses closing everywhere and people staying home, purchasing tires is not a priority for many Americans. We will continue to monitor the situation, just as we all are, be there for our customers and neighbors and take it all day-by-day.”
In early April, Nexen Tire says it is continuing to provide the same level of support to its network of tire dealers during the COVID-19 quarantine. The support includes full tire distribution capabilities from all distribution facilities, mileage warranty support, roadside assistance and all customer service functions for dealers.
Additionally, Nexen has created dealer incentives through its Next Level Program to help extend its support through the economic slowdown and nationwide quarantine.
Nexen Tire says it is also supporting dealers through the continued operation of its call centers.
Nokian Tyres
Nokian Tyres, in accordance with guidelines from public authorities, will extend the temporary closure of its Dayton, Tennessee, factory through at least Sunday, April 26, the company says in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Company leadership will continue to evaluate the COVID-19 situation and monitor guidelines from the CDC, state and local leaders to determine when to reopen the factory. Nokian Tyres initially closed its factory on March 27.
Nokian says there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the factory, and the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution in order to safeguard the well-being of Nokian Tyres employees and the Southeast Tennessee community,” the Finnish tiremaker said in a press release.
“The safety of our team and our community is our most important priority,” said Dayton Factory Operations Director Peter Chia. “That’s why we are taking this proactive step during this challenging time.”
During the closure, cleaning services will thoroughly clean offices and production equipment. Employees will be temporarily furloughed, and the company does not plan to permanently lay off any workers at the factory.
Nokian Tyres said it will continue to take all reasonable steps necessary to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The temporary closure of its U.S. manufacturing facility will not significantly impact Nokian’s projected production volume or regional growth plan, the company said. Nokian Tyres will continue to supply customers through its regional warehouses located throughout North America.
In a statement on its website, Nokian Tyres said it has also temporarily suspended all business travel, asked employees not to have face-to-face meetings and has also moved to remote work in all roles possible.
Nokian Tyres plc said it has postponed the expansion for additional capacity at its U.S. plant as it continues to ramp up production. At its plant in Russia, Nokian announced March 23 that it will be adjusting production output in line with global demand in a flexible way. Construction work on its new testing center in Spain has been ceased temporarily.
As of March 18, Nokian Tyres plc entered into two weeks of employee cooperation negotiations to determine whether some Finland-based employees may be subject to temporary layoffs, due to decreased demand in the European car and tire market as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The company said it will provide updates about affected employees after those two weeks of negotiations conclude.
“Currently, Nokian Tyres raw material supply chain is not impacted by the corona outbreak. We have taken extra risk management measures to mitigate the risk in the supply chain,” Nokian said. “So far, all our raw materials suppliers operate as normal. However, we do expect delays in transportations due to the blank sailings, but we do have safety stocks that cover the delays, so they do not put our production at risk. We also have back-up suppliers. We are following the situation actively and updating the status as it develops.”
Pirelli & C. SpA
Pirelli announced March 20 that it will reduce operations at its tire production plant in Rome, Georgia, starting March 22, in an effort to protect the health and safety of its workers amid the spread of the COVID-19.
The company has halted production temporarily at its plants in Settimo Torinese and Bollate, Italy, as well as at its plant in the U.K. and in Romania.
In a statement to Tire Review, Pirelli said it is currently evaluating the global situation and “defining measures to mitigate its effects on the business.”
The company said for health safety reasons, compounded by the economic impacts of the coronavirus health crisis, it has slowed down production in a number of factories and temporarily halted it in others so that they can run with fewer employees and safe distances can be ensured, in a context of weakening demand.
To maintain safety, Pirelli has moved all interaction between dealers, carmakers and other clients onto digital communication platforms and providing training on these platforms. The company said it has also canceled some events and postponed product launches, which will be done “when possible and compatibly with the evolution of the health crisis and the slowdown of the market.”
“Pirelli is doing everything it can under the circumstances, while keeping health and safety as its priority, to ensure that dealers and distributors continue to receive the best service possible and continue to receive our products,” Pirelli says.
Toyo Tire USA Corp.
Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. announced Mar. 30 that it will be temporarily suspending operations at its tire manufacturing plant in White, Georgia due to the global impact of COVID-19 on markets.
Phase-down of production has already begun and will be completed over the next few days. Toyo Tire anticipates the plant to resume production on April 19, 2020. The company said its distribution centers are fully stocked and will remain open to service customers. It also continue to receive tires from overseas manufacturing facilities.
Roy Bromfield, president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp., said Toyo’s office and field staff is working remotely and avoiding travel in response to precautions taken around the coronavirus.
“In addition, on March 17, we were informed factories in Malaysia will close March 18, until the end of the month,” he said. “This aligns with announcements made by the Malaysian government. We do receive some products from Malaysia but fortunately, we have several manufacturing facilities around the world supplying tires to the U.S. market. Our customers can expect direct communication from us as we all navigate these uncharted waters.”
Triangle Tire
Four Triangle Tire manufacturing plants are now operating near full capacity after a three-week shutdown due to the Chinese New Year and subsequent coronavirus shutdown, said Manny Cicero, CEO of Triangle Tire USA.
“With much uncertainty about how the coronavirus pandemic will affect global tire production, we are grateful that the four Triangle plants are now operating at above 90% capacity,” said Manny Cicero, CEO of Triangle Tire USA. “Our main concern remains the health and welfare of all Triangle team members worldwide and that of our customers’ employees and families. We are thankful, nevertheless, that our production is up and running.”
Cicero said there are numerous containers of Triangle tires headed to the U.S. from China, and the Triangle logistics department is navigating obstacles created by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. He said Triangle Tire USA staff is working from home, and the company has suspended one-on-one customer meetings for the time being.
In the tire industry as a whole, Cicero said: “On the supply side, more and more tire plants in North America and Europe are shutting down. Depending on how long that lasts, supply could become a big issue.
“On the demand side, consumers will be driving less and projects requiring OTR tires may likely be curtailed,” he continued. “On the TBR side, trucking will continue to play an important role of delivering products across the land. Trucking could be impacted down the road if the manufacturing of consumer goods slows down.
“All in all, this is a very challenging situation for the tire industry. There are thousands of great folks in the tire industry, and we just all need to pull together to help each other.”
Yokohama Tire Corp.
Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) announced April 3 that it had temporarily suspended production at its plant in Salem, Virginia, which produces passenger and light truck tires.
In related news announced mid-April, both of YCNA’s U.S. plants will remain closed until further notice due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced.
The suspension of production will remain in effect at Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM) and Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV).
YTMM, based in West Point, Mississippi, produces commercial truck tires, while YTMV in Salem, Virginia manufactures passenger and light truck tires. The two plants have undergone sterilization and decontamination measures while production is idled.
All other facilities remain open and operational, including all U.S. distribution centers where Yokohama’s supply position is healthy, the company says.
The company announced Mar. 28 that it suspended production at its plant in West Point, Mississippi, which is expected to last for two weeks, Yokohama said. In order to continue to service customers, the plant’s shipping department will maintain normal operations along with other key maintenance-related actives, the company said. In addition, the plant is taking sterilization and decontamination measures to ensure the health and safety of all personnel upon their return.
Yokohama said its supply position remains strong, and it will work closely with dealers to mitigate any unexpected disruptions. Preventative measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 are in effect at all company facilities, the company added.
For more coverage on how COVID-19 is impacting the tire industry, click here.
