While the industry adjusts to the “new normal,” companies who supply the “critical infrastructure-designated” tower industry have also been deemed “essential” to keeping the lines of connectivity open across the U.S. And what is more essential than safety equipment?
GME Supply, headquartered in Columbia, MO, has been a long-time supplier of gear for the industry and the “critical” designation has helped keep them operating out of their four warehouses. In Missouri, for instance, workers are allowed to enter the warehouse despite a local lockdown law that would otherwise keep them at home. Consequently, wipes, goggles, masks and gloves along with helmets, harnesses, PPE, and more can all make their way into the proper hands of tower crews. According to GME Marketing Manager Alex Giddings, the company has managed to maintain full employment of all personnel, around 110-plus nationwide, and is even looking to expand on that number.
With warehouses that carry about 10 employees apiece in Georgia, Texas and Southern California in addition to Missouri’s, Giddings said they are committed to seeing that crews on the road aren’t slowed down. The new procedures, Giddings said, will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for “social distancing,” and will include best practices for increased disinfection of our facilities and hygiene by their team members.
GME’s listed policy in these pandemic times is as follows:
- Orders will be accepted through the normal channels (phone, email, online).
- All locations will remain in operation to ship products daily.
- Showrooms and training centers will not be accessible to the public.
- Curbside pickup will be available. Simply call ahead, make a payment over the phone, and when you arrive, our Gear Expert will deliver your order to your car.
Giddings said GME has been preparing for these measures over the course of the last six to eight weeks, reviewing inventory levels with suppliers to limit the impact that COVID-19 is having on global supply chains.
“We understand that the industries that we work in are critical to the infrastructure of the nation and that our work, and our customer’s work, does not have the option to be delayed,” he said. Watch their COVID-19 response video here.
Reader Interactions