SUZHOU, China (BRAIN) — E-bike component manufacturer Bafang Electric Co. said it has resumed operations following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
After Bafang was included in a first-level alert status for the past month, the Jiangsu Provincial Government reduced the threat level on Feb. 24.
During the first-level alert period, Bafang said helped organize the purchase and delivery of 1,153 sets of protective suits, in addition to masks and goggles, for medical personnel in labs and infectious disease wards in the Hunan Province. Hunan is a neighboring province to Hubei, where many residents were unable to travel home because of transportation restrictions.
"Bafang is an enterprise founded in, and growing in, Suzhou," said Sunny He, co-founder of Bafang. "It is our responsibility to help the Suzhou medical team in Hubei, and we feel honored to do so. We hope these warriors will return safe and sound."
The company said beginning Feb. 12 it made arrangements for many employees to work remotely, including more than 60 research and development personnel who meet daily via video conferencing. It said it is quickly prioritizing urgent customer orders.
Bafang said it maintained regular communication with suppliers and worked with the suppliers to ensure health and safety. The effort helped kick-start Bafang's production-recovery process with five key suppliers to ensure ongoing supply-chain reliability and quality, Bafang said.
Separately, Sobowo Group, a Chinese e-bike manufacturer, announced Monday that production has resumed and it is seeing "no effect" from the virus in its home city of Changzhou, which is in the Jiangsu province. Sobowo produces more than 50,000 e-bikes annually for OEs.
