Covid-19 forces Italian EMS to shut down plant

As of the 24 of February – until a date yet to be defined – the manufacturing site in Codogno, which employs about 600 workers, will remain closed, a press release reads. The closure poses significant harm to MTA which serves automotive manufacturers worldwide. Not being able to deliver goods will have a domino effect and put a stop to the three production lines of FCA Mirafiori, Cassino, Melfi and those of Sevel already early as of February 26, the company states. MTA elaborates in the press release saying that from the second of March, all the remaining FCA plants in Europe and those of Renault, BMW and Peugeot will also have to close. Should the forced closure arrangement persist, other manufacturers such as Iveco, CNH and Same would would also be affected in the same way. The Italian manufacturer is now, with the above mentioned consequences in mind, pleading to the relevant authorities to be able to allow 10% of its workforce (approximately 60 employees) to return to production activities. “The return would take place on a large covered area of 40,000 square meters and subject to daily verification of the health status of each worker, with regard to the symptoms and signs of COVID19. MTA has already dealt with the COVID19 emergency in its Chinese production plant in Shanghai, and therefore knows all the procedures necessary to continue producing in total safety of its workers,” the company writes in the press release. The partial resumption of MTA Codogno's activities would allow the company to be able to carry out deliveries within the timeframes set by its customers, allowing both Italian and foreign factories of vehicle manufacturers to keep running their production lines.