MV AGUSTA READY FOR “PHASE 2” LOCKDOWN EASING

gearing up for the future with new investments and an ambitious industrial plan

Schiranna, Varese, April 22, 2020 – After MV Agusta announced a temporary halt in its production activities on March 26, it is now ready to gradually return to “business as usual”, or rather to “new normality” as the current COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way we will work and live from now on. Looking at the future, even before total lockdown was announced, MV Agusta’s management had already taken the necessary steps to gear up to a new safety culture, re-designing internal procedures and implementing measures to continue production and office work with maximum safety. It took the further opportunity of this temporary total time-out to perform a new sanitisation of all workspaces and refine its work processes.

With a number of office employees now in smart work mode and the spare parts warehouse in full activity to guarantee worldwide customer support, MV Agusta is now ready to resume full production as it is determined to carry out its ambitious 5 years industrial plan. The intention remains that of increasing production levels from the current 5.000 units/year to 25.000 units/years within a few years, thanks to substantial investments in the production lines and R&D, the launch of new models appealing to an enlarged audience and the strengthening and expansion of MV’s dealer network.

Everything is ready in the Varese MV Agusta headquarters and factory: temperature checks for all personnel and visitors entering the premises; face masks, gloves and sanitising gel; optimised layout for factory lines and office spaces to guarantee correct distancing; new set of procedures clearly communicated to all employees; Covid-regulations-compliant canteen ensured by external contractor.

“This is not the moment for being shy,” says Timur Sardarov, CEO of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. “We need to embrace change and give everything we have to build a new future for our industry and for our communities, maintaining, if not increasing, the current levels of employment. If it is true that we will have to deal with a whole new set of parameters in all aspects of our societies, we must not be afraid to believe in our potential. We are ready to take on the challenge. We are still making the best and most beautiful bikes in the world, and we will continue to do so, maybe in a different way, but with confidence and determination. We are already making the necessary investments to reach out to new audiences and enter new markets as originally set out in our industrial plan. In addition, the super-premium positioning of our traditional production may be less likely to suffer than other, less flexible segments. Also, motorcycles are by definition the quintessence of individual mobility, a symbol of freedom and a natural, agile alternative to mass transportation. A further reason for confidence in these difficult times.”