AKRON (Oct. 16, 2008) — Goodyear has set a week-long shutdown of production at three tire plants this month as a reaction to poor economic conditions and low market demand.
The company's Gadsden, Ala., factory's production will halt at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 to adjust inventories, and will resume production at 1 a.m. Nov. 2. Employees were told Oct. 13 about the shutdown.
Amy Brei, manager, manufacturing communications for Goodyear's North American Tire unit, said the Akron-based tire maker will adjust work schedules at several consumer tire plants to align production with reduced customer demand.
The Union City, Tenn., Gadsden, Ala., and Fayetteville, N.C. plants will temporarily cease production for one week the last week of October. The Lawton, Okla., plant will not run production for four consecutive Sundays beginning Oct. 26, Brei said.
Goodyear's commercial tire plants in Topeka, Kan., and Danville, Va., had partial shutdowns this week, according to Brei.
In August the company temporarily idled four North American plants—Gadsden, Fayetteville, Union City and Napanee, Ontario—to reduce production to meet demand levels.
At that time a spokeswoman said the tire maker planned to reduce consumer tire production this year by 8 million units versus 2007 output.