Tadano Temporarily Stops Work at German Sites Because of COVID-19

March 25, 2020 -- The Tadano Group is temporarily halting production at its factories in Lauf and Zweibrücken, Germany, to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The company says its main aim is to fulfill its responsibility to society as a whole: “The safety of our employees, customers, and business partners is a top priority in Tadano’s company philosophy,” said Jens Ennen, CEO Tadano Demag GmbH and Tadano Faun GmbH. “In view of the current situation in which COVID-19 is uncontrollable, we must protect people’s health and hence the health of society as a whole and prioritize this above all else.”

Eennen went on to thank all Tadano employees who had approved a voluntary agreement stipulating a general company holiday in the last week of March. “That will help us get production and support going again quickly with full staffing levels after the crisis, so that we will be able to catch up rapidly on the backlog. We very much appreciate this magnificent commitment by our workforce.”

Short-Time Working in April

In the subsequent period from April 1, 2020, Tadano will introduce short-time working for large parts of its sites in Lauf and Zweibrücken.

The temporary cessation of production is unavoidable because the international situation is increasingly leading to necessary deliveries failing to arrive and is also making the delivery of cranes considerably more difficult, the company said in a news release.

The release said it is impossible at this point to know how long the situation will delay deliveries of the company’s crane products, but that customers should expect delays.

Also, the company has suspended business trips, training, and face-to-face meetings of all kinds until further notice, to protect the health of employees and customers. However, the company has introduced home working in many areas in order to maintain necessary business operations.

Tadano says it will strive to maintain service and spare parts supply as far as possible. Customers will still be able to reach most of their usual contacts by telephone and email. However, there will be unavoidable restrictions on cross-border deliveries and service operations. The company is doing its utmost to minimize this disruption.

“The management team will continuously monitor developments and adapt its approach and business operations to the situation as it unfolds,” said Ennen.

He also emphasized that company is continuing to pursue the integration of Demag into the Tadano Group even in these difficult times.

Ennen said that the integration is a major strategic step for Tadano and that the integration teams will remain focused on their tasks in order to emerge from the crisis in a stronger position to serve customers.

“No one can yet foresee how the situation will develop and when we can return to normal operations. However, we are preparing ourselves to be fully available for our customers and ramp up production quickly as soon as the situation changes,” said Ennen.

Until then, said the company release, the Tadano Group sincerely hopes that all its employees, customers and business partners keep well and stay safe throughout the crisis.




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