04/30/2020

The “Stay at Home” Order announced by the Governor two months ago will end Friday, May 1^st. 

Updates on the ramp-up of full production throughout the plant

SPV & Aftermarket – All SPV and Aftermarket employees that have not already returned to work during the Stay at Home Order are to return to work on their first scheduled shift beginning Friday May 1^st.  If you have not been directly contacted, please reach out to your supervisor or manager ASAP to let them know of your intentions to return or if you are unsure when you are to report to work.

OE – The ramp up to full production in OE will be in a “phased” approach necessary to accommodate our customer’s production schedules.  The first phase of the ramp up will start Monday morning 1st shift May 18^th.  We apologize for the delay in communication of this date but the decisions around when to bring back employees and start production is solely dependent on our customers. As such, we just heard from Toyota last night and Tesla/Firestone today with updated demand.   Please continue to check www.bilsteinrocks.com throughout next week for further updates. 

Employee Safety & Expectations for Returning to the Plant – Prior to and during the shutdown we have continued to take steps to make our work environment as safe as possible. The safe guards that we have put in place in both common areas and on the production lines are attached.  

 The following requirements are mandatory for all employees while in the plant until further notice and will be strictly enforced:  

1.    Masks will be worn at all times with the exception of when eating and drinking.  All employees that have not been in the plant since the Stay at Home went into place will receive their mask along with training on its use and care as well as expectations for working. 

2.    Hourly employees will not clock in.  Supervisors will clock employees in and out until we have been able to get new clocks installed that do not require use of a finger to clock in.

3.    All employees must adhere to social distancing guidelines including remaining 6 feet apart at all times.

4.    All flat services and tools are to be thoroughly cleaned prior to the start of the shift, before lunch and at the end of the shift.  This goes for desks, keyboards, mice and such in the office areas.

5.    In an effort to protect our employees we are working towards a thermal imaging process that will automatically check employee’s temperature upon entering the plant before each shift.  Some imagining scanners are in place and are being tested now.  More on this to come.

6.    Until the thermal imagining process described in point 5 above is tested and in place, all employees are required to check their temperature each day at home prior to coming into work.

Based on our Continuous Improvement value & mindset we are committed to working on improvements and safeguards to protect our employees and provide the safest possible working environment.  We ask you to support in this initiative by submitting your ideas to our COVID email hotline Covid19@bilsteinus.com and our hotline 513-301-2311 (please leave a message).

Please continue to practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently while out.  Your continued focus on your health and the health of your families and friends is important to all of us. More information to come out next week.  Be well.

If you have any questions that have not been answered on this page, please email questions here and someone from Leadership and/or HR will respond.The State of Ohio only allows you to apply after the week you were furloughed. You may register with the State during your furlough week but not file for unemployment until the Sunday after your furloughed week.