JT Working on Damaged Factories, Securing Supply Lines

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 04/11/2011

Japan Tobacco Inc. reported today that it had been focusing its efforts on getting its damaged facilities up and running as quickly as possible, and on securing alternative production and sourcing for its Japanese domestic tobacco business. In the latest of a series of weekly updates on the situation following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the east of the country last month, the company said that it had now secured, to a degree, a means of sourcing semi-finished products and non-tobacco materials.

Also, it reported, test runs would be conducted from April 11 on some of the production lines in the two manufacturing plants that had stopped operating after incurring damage, the Kita-Kanto factory and the Koriyama factory. JT said it would continue to do everything it could to reinstate operations at the two factories while continuing with increased production at its factories in the western half of Japan. Its aim was to return to its normal supply capability by about the end of June. JT reiterated what it had said on April 1, namely that it intended to resume shipments of seven product types from April 11, following the temporary break in shipments. Enditem