Horiba MIRA reopens, becomes ‘Covid-Secure’

Test centre Horiba MIRA has fully converted its facilities into ‘COVID-Secure’ operations in three weeks. On 13 April the company suspended most physical operations at its expansive 850-acre site in Nuneaton and a further facility in Basildon, but safely welcomed the first wave of furloughed employees back to both sites by 4 May, well ahead of the UK government guidelines issued this week.

Around two-thirds of the company’s 600-strong team have been working from home using remote technology, but the 40 specialised on-site facilities, including its 100km proving ground, are essential to continue the pioneering work the automotive and defence sectors need worldwide.

After making the difficult decision to furlough a third of employees while physical operations were put on hold, the firm revealed the safe and speedy return to physical operations has only been possible due to the tremendous effort, collaboration and teamwork across the business to rapidly implement robust health and safety processes to prevent coronavirus transmission.

Declan Allen, Managing Director at HORIBA MIRA, said: “We’re very proud to be in a position where our employees who are unable to work from home can safely return to our Nuneaton and Basildon sites.

“To go from suspending most operations to welcoming staff back to a safe and secure working environment within a matter of weeks has been a herculean cross-company task. The impact of the pandemic on our customers and our suppliers has been significant, and that in turn had a dramatic impact upon our company. We swiftly responded to this, as all companies have needed to, but we’ve used that time to ready ourselves for recovery and can now scale up our services in response to customer demand safely and effectively.”