Brigestone temporarily shuts down Australian plant

ERJ staff report (RD)

Salisbury, Australia - Bridgestone Australia Ltd is temporarily shutting down its manufacturing plant in Salisbury, South Australia, to reduce inventory holdings in line with consumer demand, the company recently announced.

The plant which employs around 600 staff will be taken offline from 14 -27 April 2009 but no permanent jobs will be affected by the shutdown with employees accessing leave entitlements, the statement said.

"The economic slowdown is having an impact on consumer demand around the world and Australia is no different," said Bridgestone Group chairman and managing director, Shawn Hara.

"We are not reliant on the vehicle manufacturers, as the majority of output from our Salisbury facility is distributed to the consumer replacement market through our strong Australia-wide retail network," added Hara. "This step is a reflection of Bridgestone Australia's ability to react quickly and prudently to the current situation to ensure we protect the long-term viability of our manufacturing business and the jobs of our valued employees," he concluded.

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Press release from Bridgestone Australia Ltd