New York – Pioneer Electronics and Mitsubishi reported on
the condition of its facilities and operations in Japan while Yamaha and Alpine
provided updates.
In a statement, Pioneer said all employees and their
immediate families in Japan are reported to be safe and unharmed.
“We are obviously very thankful for this. In addition, we have learned that Pioneer
Corp. headquarters in Kawasaki and our plant in Kawagoe did not sustain
significant property damage.”
Due to electricity shortage in Tokyo and the surrounding
areas, Pioneer said, “it [has been] difficult to maintain regular business
hours. Additionally, public
transportation in the area is not yet back to its normal operating level,
affecting some employees’ ability to commute to and from their offices.”
Mitsubishi Electric said major business operations in the
Tohoku region have sustained damage as a result of the earthquake, but no
significant injuries among employees have been reported.
At the Tohoku branch, located in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture,
“there was some damage in the office.” At the Koriyama factory, located in
Koriyama, Fukushima prefecture, some damage was reported and “production has
temporarily ceased at this factory, which manufactures CCTVs and communications
equipment. Upon confirming operational safety, Mitsubishi Electric will
consider when to resume operations, while taking into account the impact of the
earthquake on its manufacturing facilities.”
Yamaha president Mitsuru Umemura issued a statement, saying,
“We have not received any reports of injuries to Yamaha
Corporation personnel. Please note that at present there is one employee of a
Yamaha subsidiary that we have not been able to contact, but we are continuing
to work to obtain information on this person.
“Yamaha’s sales office in Sendai,
Japan, and retail shops of sales companies located in the disaster area
sustained some slight damage, and we have closed some retail stores and music
schools in this area. The Kakegawa factory and Toyooka factory, both located in
Shizuoka prefecture, are continuing normal operations,” the company said.
Alpine Electronics of America
said no injuries have been reported to Alpine employees at its Iwaki City
global headquarters in the Fukushima prefecture or at affiliated companies in
Japan. Alpine’s global headquarters “suffered some damage due to the earthquake,”
the company said. The company is evaluating damage to its administrative
offices and manufacturing plants there, and once the safety of the facilities
is confirmed, operations will resume, it added.
In the meantime, the Iwaki headquarters
and other local Alpine companies will be closed from Monday, March 14, through
Monday, March 21. During that time, limited
personnel will continue to work towards restoring manufacturing and operations,
the company said. Alpine didn’t say what
the facilities manufactured. –
Reporting
by Steve Smith, Joseph Palenchar and Greg Tarr
