Denso and Bosch were able to reopen plants despite flooding in the entire region. Photo credit: Bloomberg
Automotive suppliers Bosch and Denso are resuming production at their Carolina-owned plants in the weekend, after the deadly hurricane that chewed coastal states, overturning trees, causing record exposure and causing widespread road closures.
Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression, continues to trudge to the northeast according to the National Hurricane Center and is expected to produce "heavy to excessive rainfall" over the next few days.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster lifted the evacuation order for Charleston County on Saturday afternoon, Bosch journalist Linda Beckmeyer wrote in an e-mail to Automotive News. The Charleston branch in Bosch started on Saturday afternoon in recovery mode and normal business operations have resumed.
"Our carriers take measures to circumvent road closures and limit any consequences," she wrote.
The supplier stopped activities in the factory last Tuesday as a result of the evacuation plan of the state.
There were no storm-related injuries reported at Bosch locations in South Carolina and North Carolina, but several employees at Bosch's home appliances in New Bern, N.C., lost their homes due to flooding or storm damage, Beckmeyer wrote. Power has been lost at the New Bern site and work will be interrupted until it is restored.
Before the storm last Thursday in North Carolina, Denso closed its ASMO Greenville plant, which produces wiper engine clutches, rear wiper motors, arms and blades, and radiator fan motors. The facility is now back to full production, spokeswoman Julie Kerr wrote in an e-mail to Automotive News and there have been no delivery delays so far.
"There are a number of roads flooded, but there is access with small detours," Kerr wrote.
From Monday afternoon, the death toll of the storm had risen to 23, reported The Wall Street Journal.