Ferrari restarts production after longest pause in company history | GRR
Ferrari is ramping up car manufacturing to full capacity in its Maranello and Modena factories for Friday May 8th following the longest production pause in the company’s 73-year history.
Ferrari bosses announced on March 27th that production would, “subject to supply chain continuity”, resume production on April 14th. The further escalation of the coronavirus meant this never happened, but since then Ferrari has had its employees complete courses in line with new safety measures, offered blood tests to its employees and suppliers, and their relatives, and aided the creation of an mobile app which helps trace symptoms and offers medical support and advice. The new practices, Ferrari says, “are aimed at safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all of the employees”.
The Maranello factory hasn’t been completely dormant since March, however, as the department normally responsible for building Ferrari prototypes was put to work developing respirator valves and fittings for protective masks used by health workers. The company has also purchased COVID-19 test kits for the University of Modena, Baggiovara and Sassuolo hospitals, donated a vehicle to the local health authority, purchased notebooks, tablets and computers so that local children can be home schooled, and purchased food and food vouchers for distribution in the Maranello area. The money to do all of that came as a result of Ferrari’s Chairman John Elkann, CEO Louis Camilleri and the Board of Directors pledging to donate their salaries from April until the end of the year, as well as other senior management offering 25 per cent of their wages.