LONDON — Continental A.G. has restarted production at its tire plant in Timisoara, Romania, while Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is keeping its tire plant in Slatina, Romania, idled for the time being.
Continental and Pirelli idled operations in Romania in the third week of March as part of their efforts to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Conti's passenger/light truck tire plant in Timisoara resumed production April 8 after being idled March 25, Conti told European Rubber Journal — a Tire Business sister publication — in a written statement.
In addition, Conti restarted production of industrial belts at ContiTech plant in Timisoara, where activities had been idled March 30 to April 10. ContiTech's hose factories in Nadab and Carei, Romania, will continue to be idled until April 30, the statement added.
Pirelli, on the other hand, has delayed the reopening of its factory in Slatina due to "new, more restrictive government measures" introduced in the fight against Covid-19.
The plant, which employs 4,000, was supposed to be idled March 23-31. In a new statement, however, Pirelli said it would set a new start date for the start of activity at the unit.
"In the coming days, there will be a very limited temporary activity in the factory to make the adjustments related to the longer period of suspension of the activity," according to a Romanian language statement.