Cooper Tire Europe Plans to Restart Manufacturing at U.K. Plant by June

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: CTB) today announced that Cooper Tire Europe plans to begin the process of reopening its manufacturing plant in Melksham, England, in the first half of June, and expects to be producing tires there by June 15. The facility, which primarily manufactures motorcycle and racing tires, has been temporarily closed since late March due to coronavirus and its impacts.

To help protect employees returning to the plant, Cooper has put in place a comprehensive set of health and safety procedures that include required employee disclosures, increased cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and equipment, social distancing and physical barriers, visitor restrictions, and other measures.

Similar procedures have been in effect at Cooper plants in China, the United States and Serbia, all of which reopened after temporary closures, and are in various stages of ramping production back up according to demand, which has been impacted industry wide by the global pandemic. Throughout the global pandemic, Cooper’s distribution centers around the globe have continued to operate and flow product to customers.