Detroit, Oct 17: Firestone, hurt by falling sales of its beleaguered tyres, said on Tuesday it will cut production at three US plants, while US regulators raised the number of deaths linked to crashes blamed on the recalled tyres to 119.The tyre maker, a unit of Japan's Bridgestone Corp, also said it will lay off 450 people at its Decatur facility. The plant made most of the 6.5 million recalled tyres.
Firestone said it will cut Firestone's total North American output by 20 per cent over the next two months. Through the end of the year, it said, it will cut production for 28 days at its LaVergne and Oklahoma City plants, and for 14 days at Decatur. "Production of replacement tyres related to the recall will continue uninterrupted," Firestone chairman and chief executive officer John Lampe said on a conference call.
The layoffs in Decatur, where workers have been worried about the plant being closed entirely, amount to 25 per cent of the workforce.
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