NASHVILLE — Bridgestone Americas Inc. said it is making "steady progress" in ramping up tire production and is targeting this week to be fully operational, following a security breach in its network during the early morning of Feb. 27.
The Nashville-based tire maker said it has "accelerated the fulfillment of customer orders and delivery via direct shipments from our distribution centers and warehouses."
"Customers will continue to see a steady increase in supply over the coming days as we get back to fully operational status," Bridgestone continued.
The subsidiary of Japan's Bridgestone Corp. said it continues "to execute our robust business continuity plans and established governance process to do everything we can to minimize impact to our customers and teammates.
"We will continue to work diligently to restart all operations efficiently and safely and to address any issues that may affect our operations, our teammates, and our customers," the company concluded.
The alleged cyberattack shut down computers at certain certain manufacturing and retreading facilities in North America and Latin America. Workers were sent home early from several manufacturing shifts spanning Feb. 27-28, including those in Des Moines, Iowa; and in La Vergne, Tenn.
According to media reports, Bridgestone workers were affected at a truck and bus radial factory in Warren County, Tenn.; a passenger and light truck radial tire plant in Aiken County, S.C.; and Canadian media reported Feb. 27 that there was disruption to the night shift at a Bridgestone plant in Joliette, Quebec.
A notice posted on the Facebook page of United Steelworkers Local 1155L, which represents workers at the Warren County plant, said that all hourly and salaried employees scheduled to work either a dayshift or nightshift must report to work.
"The plan is to start-up and resume regular operations," the union wrote in the Facebook post.
Reuters news service reported March 1 that Toyota Motor Corp. had suspended production at all 14 Japanese plants on that day in response to a breach that affected its supplier of plastic parts and electronic components. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Reuters it was investigating whether Russia was involved, in response to Japan's backing of Ukraine in the war against Russia.
