US: In aftermath of storms, production stops at Mercedes-Benz and Toyota plants

The New York Times - The series of deadly thunderstorms and tornadoes that struck the Deep South on Wednesday evening has led at least two automakers in the region to cancel production shifts at their plants.

Mercedes-Benz, which operates a factory in the Tuscaloosa, Ala., suburb of Vance, canceled its Wednesday night shift as well as its two daily shifts on Thursday and Friday. The plant, commonly known as Plant Tuscaloosa, builds the R-Class wagon and the M- and GL-Class S.U.V.'s for the North American market.

"Our plan is to resume production on Monday, and we are in close contact with our partners," wrote Felyicia Jerald, head of communications at the plant, when reached via e-mail.

"Mercedes-Benz U.S. International only had minor damages at the plant, and it was namely because of strong winds," Ms. Jerald said. "There was no impact on our production capacity and no injuries at our plant."

A report by Automotive News said that suppliers were unable to reach the Mercedes plant. Highway exit ramps in the area were damaged, the report said.

Honda's plant in Lincoln, Ala., did not sustain damage, according to the Automotive News report, but a Toyota plant in Huntsville, which builds V-6 and V-8 engines for Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks, had lost power and was closed.

Hyundai, which operates a plant in Montgomery, was not damaged, according to Robert Burns, a plant spokesman. "The path of the storm was about 20, 25 miles to the north," Mr. Burns said in a telephone interview. The plant has not canceled any shifts, nor have its suppliers been prevented from making regular deliveries.

"Our supplier network is south of us, so no disruptions occurred," Mr. Burns said.