Unless you’ve been ignoring the news, you’re aware of what the World Health Organization has
now declared as a global pandemic of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Personally, in just the last
week I:
- Watched my last College and Pro basketball games for the year (March Sadness)
- Heard from my daughter (college English teacher) and my son (high school Health and
PE teacher) they were preparing to teach all classes on line (Gym class on line will be
interesting)! - Watched my wife deal with her 92-year old mother as her assisted living facility went on
lockdown (no visitors and limited social interaction). - Had all church related activities canceled (Sunday services will be on line).
- . . . have not washed my hands this much ever, and I try to remind myself not to touch
my face! - Was trying not to cry as my investment portfolio took a nose dive.
- Got a full refund on a cancelled Delta flight!
I’m sure you have been personally impacted as well.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is dealing with contracting the coronavirus, especially those vulnerable populations who are experiencing severe illness or even death. Let’s think of these people as we make plans to slow the spread of COVID-19, make a few lifestyle changes and make business plans and decisions that will minimize our business interruption.
We are in a little uncharted territory here and I want to assure you that Innovize is taking current actions and making plans to insure uninterrupted supply of product to our customers. As a manufacturer if we can keep our associates healthy and get raw materials, we can continue to meet your needs.
For our associates, we are taking all the precautions we can think of not to get each other sick. If you want to share lists of possible actions, just let your Innovize sales team know, or email me.
We have not been advised of any imminent material shortages and we have asked our suppliers to continue to identify any risks for us. Most of our materials are sourced in the USA. However, that may not insulate us from eventual material shortages that our suppliers may experience. An example may be an adhesive made in the USA, but with input materials a few steps up the supply chain sourced outside the USA. Or, as the pandemic spreads through the USA, labor or materials shortages may become a more local issue.
One risk mitigation action you could take now is to place orders and build your inventory levels.
If you have any other thoughts on Responding to Coronavirus, let us know.
I thought this article was interesting and helpful in understanding early symptoms, and what most of us might expect.
Our priority is continuing to build a culture and products that improve people’s lives.
Thanks,
Dave
Owner, VP of Sales & Marketing
