HOW IS COVID-19 IMPACTING MANUFACTURERS ACROSS THE NATION? HERE ARE SOME POSITIVE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

s the coronavirus continues to deepen its roots in our community, there are many unanswered questions about what the future holds.

While it seems like a desperate road lay ahead, some positives are emerging.

Initially, some metal fabrication shops noticed an increase in demand for their services, when parts normally ordered from other countries are now unavailable or as new technologies are needed to fight COVID-19.

“If anything, this crisis is bringing us more work,” the owner said. “Some of our customers find they can’t get a part that we can provide.”

As the crisis became more prevalent in the United States with states like California and New York noticing staggering numbers of infected individuals, many manufacturers began adapting their operations to supply the need for highly sought medical equipment to help in the treatment and care of patients, such as ventilators, masks, medical gowns and hand sanitizers.

As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. is increasing on a daily basis, and many states continue to sign Shelter-in-place or #SafeAtHome orders, how else is it impacting the manufacturing industry? Owners have found themselves making tough decisions about whether to shut down, how to continue operations and more.  

●     Factories began staggering shifts, banning visitors and installing barriers between workers to protect them from coronavirus infection, according to the Wall Street Journal.

●     As of March 9, 53.1% of manufacturers anticipated a change in their operations in the coming months and 35.5% say that they are already facing supply chain disruptions, according to a survey.

●     Stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders affect manufacturers differently depending on the stay and your industry. For example, Ohio’s order exempts “Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products.”

●     Companies like Tesla have been shutting their doors after urging from government officials. Specifically, Tesla said it will only continue operations for “parts and supplies necessary for service, infrastructure and critical supply chains.”

If the coronavirus does lead to slow times at your manufacturing company, there are still actions you can take to improve future outcomes.  

Right now is a great opportunity to up your game and implement new strategies to connect with customers that will amplify your sales prospects as we move forward and start recovering from the pandemic. We have many resources already existing to get you started.

●     The 5 Steps You Need to Consider for a Solid Marketing Strategy

●     3 Ways to Drive Traffic to your Website

●     Making Your Page Visible: The Facebook Algorithm

●     E-mail Marketing for Manufacturers: Do’s and Don’ts of an Effective Strategy

As with anytime, we host free consultation meetings with any manufacturer interested in learning more.

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