Bridgestone Corp. has issued a statement announcing that it will suspend manufacturing in Russia, as well as exports to Russia. The change takes effect Friday, March 18.
Bridgestone has reported it will continue to financially support its team of 1,000 employees in Ukraine, and also has donated funds to the Red Cross and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help support Ukrainian citizens at this time.
The company stated, “Over the last weeks, we have been deeply affected by the war in Ukraine and its impact on many innocent people including our own employees and partners. We condemn any form of violence and hope that peace can quickly be re-established. Our primary concern in this crisis, is the safety of our employees and their families.
“Bridgestone has been carefully assessing the impact of this challenging situation. As a result, we decided to suspend our manufacturing activities in Russia, until further notice. The decision will take effect next Friday 18 March after the necessary preparations. The company has also decided to freeze any new investments and suspend all exports to Russia with immediate effect.
“We continue to care for our more than 1,000 employees in our passenger tyre production plant in Ulyanovsk and our sales offices. Therefore, we will support our employees financially at this time.
“As the situation further unfolds, Bridgestone’s global and regional management will continue to closely monitor the situation and flexibly adapt plans when needed. We expect manufacturing output outside Russia to remain stable in the coming weeks.
“The last two weeks have transformed the world with more than two and half million people having already fled their homes. Many of our employees have participated in spontaneous volunteer activities to support the refugees from Ukraine. Bridgestone EMIA has made a 1 million Euro donation to the Red Cross, in addition to the 2.5 million Euro donated by Bridgestone Corporation to UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), and we will continue to evaluate how we can help alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Bridgestone in Europe, Russia, Middle East, India, and Africa (Bridgestone EMIA) is the regional Strategic Business Unit of Bridgestone Corp., a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Zaventem (Belgium), Bridgestone EMIA employs more than 20,000 people and conducts business in 40 countries across the region.
For more information about Bridgestone in EMIA, visit www.bridgestone-emia.com.
