"Bridgestone has been working to mitigate impacts of the hurricane on employees and customers throughout the past week," the tire maker said in a statement provided early this week. "Many employees incurred significant property damage, and the company has activated its employee assistance funds to provide financial assistance. …
"The company continues to monitor the situation and reach out to employees in the area. Bridgestone is committed to helping protect its employees and ensuring the safety and security of its facilities."
On Oct. 3, 19 of Bridgestone's retail locations were closed due to power outages. By Oct. 7, 10 remained without power.
Operations at the distribution center were not impacted.
While Michelin's South Carolina tire operations were not impacted by the storm, there were a number of communities along the coast that saw significant damage, flooding and power outages. To this end, the tire maker, through the Michelin Corporate Foundation, is supporting clean-up efforts and the provision of hot meals while also supporting the Red Cross.
"The Red Cross is using emergency response vehicles donated by the Michelin Corporate Foundation to bring supplies to those who need it," Michelin told Rubber News. "Additionally, if employees are looking for other ways to support those impacted by the hurricane, we are recommending financial donations to the Red Cross since the damage to infrastructure can make it difficult to send supplies in some cases."
For details on how to support the Red Cross and its relief efforts throughout Florida and South Carolina, visit RedCross.org.