Titan to Keep U.S. Plants Operating to Support Nation's Food Supply

Federal government says food and agriculture industry is critical to public health and safety and should continue normal operations.

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Titan International, Inc.

Mar 23, 2020, 17:30 ET

QUINCY, Ill., March 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan International, Inc., manufacturer of Titan Tires, Titan Wheels and Goodyear^® Farm Tires, is announcing its commitment to keeping its U.S. manufacturing facilities operating as normal in order to support the food and agriculture industry, which the federal government has deemed critical to the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to remain in operation comes with great responsibility to protect the company's employees. In addition to practicing social distancing and preventative measures to reduce the spread of germs within its facilities, the company remains dedicated to upholding its own internal safety and cleanliness protocols. Titan is taking additional precautions as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and local governments.

On March 19, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued guidelines on workers who should keep normal schedules because they are in a "critical infrastructure industry" affecting public health and safety, the economy and national security.

That includes "employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural production and distribution," according to the guidance. These as well as other provisions of the guidance and of the recent Executive Order issued by the Governor of the State of Illinois – where Titan is headquartered and maintains a substantial manufacturing presence – support the continued operation of its U.S. manufacturing facilities.

"Titan is proud of our role in the nation's food supply chain, especially in challenging times like this with the coronavirus pandemic now hitting most communities across the U.S.," said Paul Reitz, Titan President and CEO. "The tires and wheels we manufacture are on many types of equipment that farmers use to plant, maintain and harvest crops."

The Titan facilities maintaining normal operations are in Des Moines, Iowa; Freeport and Quincy, Illinois; Bryan, Ohio; Jefferson, Georgia; and Union City, Tennessee.

"At this point we are more thankful than ever to be a company that produces American engineered, American manufactured tires and wheels," said Reitz. "Currently, we are not experiencing infrastructure or supply chain issues that could impact the fulfillment of customer orders in the United States. We continue to monitor this extremely fluid and unprecedented situation and will keep our customers and dealers informed of any updates or changes."

"Titan's leadership team is meeting continuously to appropriately respond to this pandemic as it evolves, and our COVID-19 response team is meeting multiple times a day to monitor the situation and execute plans that will continue to keep our employees safe and help our teams adjust accordingly without impacting production plans," Reitz said.

About Titan International, Inc.
Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is a leading global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies and undercarriage products. Headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, the company produces a broad range of products to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction, and consumer markets. In the United States, the company produces two distinct tire brands — Goodyear^® Farm Tires and Titan Tires.

SOURCE Titan International, Inc.