As the nation learns what to expect from a return to work, Bentley has surged ahead with its own version of a 'new normal' at its Crewe factory, where 1,700 employees are back and operating under new Covid-19 guidelines. Production has officially re-started, albeit at half pace, with staffers required to wear PPE and work at least two metres away from their colleagues to help clear an eight-month customer order bank.
Bentley's re-opening previews what is likely to come in other areas of British manufacturing, with the firm's one-direction walkways and double-spaced work areas designed to adhere with new guidelines. Even the Crewe toilets have been modified to prevent too many people from using them at one time - and the changes go much further than just a bit of red tape and new signage. Bentley's HQ has received plastic screens and a staggered lunch timetable in order to combat the spread of coronavirus.
It's only thanks to these efforts that production lines for the Bentayga and Mulsanne are now back up and running, with the Continental GT and Flying Spur lines due to re-start next week. Still, build times from a car's start to finish have doubled, so it's far from business as usual. But it's certainly an admirable demonstration of what needs to be done to kickstart British manufacturing, without having an adverse impact on a downward trend in coronavirus transmission rates.
If all goes to plan - that's to say if the UK's infection rate continues to shrink - Bentley's remaining workers of more than 500 people should be back in Crewe by the middle of June. They'll be expected to adhere to the same disease-fighting work restrictions, which are being communicated to each staffer via video tutorials and a new Employee News app, "designed to ease any uncertainty that this challenging period prompts".
"We have a strong order bank, around eight months of customer orders to manufacture, established parts supply routes and patient customers who are looking to receive their extraordinary cars as soon as possible," said Adrian Hallmark, Bentley CEO. "We will ramp up in a controlled, measured way to ensure we manage this continued demand, and look ahead and in spite of this interruption continue on our journey to lead sustainable luxury mobility in the future."
Other British brands to re-open this month include Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, with the latter's new chairman, Lawrence Stroll, optimistically stating that the re-start could see the firm bounce back stronger than ever. After weeks of concern, it's reassuring to see things finally start to pick up. Even if those afterwork pub drinks remain a thing of the past for a fair bit longer yet.
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