Statements from Weldaloy – COVID-19
Letter to our Customers – March 26, 2020
Dear Customer,
I wanted to give you an update on where things currently stand at Weldaloy Specialty Forgings.
On Monday March 23rd, 2020, Our State issued a “Stay at Home” executive order in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our State’s executive order includes exceptions for certain businesses to remain operational. These exceptions were set by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Weldaloy has been deemed a “critical essential infrastructure” through CISA guidelines, and therefore will remain operational. We are focused on keeping our production up and running for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, we have seen little or no impact to our suppliers by this outbreak as well, though some orders might have longer lead times than usual. Please reach out to your Weldaloy sales representative and/or project manager if you need specific details on your order(s).
Weldaloy is committed to doing our part in working to mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak within our community. We have made multiple adjustments in support of this goal—including all employees that are able to work from home at least through April 13th. Additionally, our production staff is adhering to social distancing guidelines while working and are frequently using personal sanitation practices. We have also arranged for third party sanitizing to take place in appropriate portions of the facility.
Understandably, these are extraordinary times with news and information regarding COVID-19 outbreak changing daily. We will continue to listen to the advice and guidelines from the CDC and the WHO to continue to conduct business safely for our employees and our community.
I will keep you posted on any updates in the future regarding any changes to Weldaloy’s practices as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. I thank you for your continued support for Weldaloy Specialty Forgings as we continue to work together as valued partners well into the future.
Please stay safe and healthy,
Best Regards,
Kurt Ruppenthal
Vice President and General Manager
A Letter to Weldaloy Suppliers – March 23, 2020
Dear Weldaloy Supplier,
The federal government has identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors that are considered vital to the security, economic security, and/or public health or safety of the United States. Weldaloy Specialty Forgings (“Weldaloy”) is an essential supplier to multiple prime contractors for the United States government in these critical infrastructure sectors. These contractors have identified Weldaloy and our suppliers as “mission essential” and notified us that we, and our suppliers, should continue to operate.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber and Infrastructure Security (CISA) program issued guidance regarding the Nation’s “Essential Critical Infrastructure” to ensure its continuity of operations. Specifically, CISA’s guidance said: “If you work in a critical infrastructure industry…you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
Given the mission essential nature of our workforce and operations, Weldaloy intends to continue operating in compliance with Federal guidelines and Michigan Governor Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order (Executive Order 2020-21),. Governor Whitmer’s order, which supersedes county or local orders, recognizes the Federal guidance and the mission essential nature of companies like Weldaloy and our suppliers, and expressly exempts our company and our workers from the order. Specifically, in section 9b
- For purposes of this order, critical infrastructure workers also include:
(b) Workers at designated suppliers and distribution centers, as described below.
(1) A business or operation that employs critical infrastructure workers may designate suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers whose continued operation is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the work of its critical infrastructure workers.
(2) Such suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers may designate workers as critical infrastructure workers only to the extent those workers are necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the work of the original operation’s or business’s critical infrastructure workers.
(3) Designated suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers may in turn designate additional suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers whose continued operation is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the work of their critical infrastructure workers.
(4) Such additional suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers may designate workers as critical infrastructure workers only to the extent that those workers are necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the work of the critical infrastructure workers at the supplier, distribution center, or service provider that has designated them.
Click here to read the full executive order.
You are an essential supplier to Weldaloy. We ask that you continue to supply and service Weldaloy during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Please request that the local authorities allow any employees who are necessary to ensuring this supply be allowed to travel to and from work.
The health and safety of your employees and the public is paramount, so you should be sure to institute all appropriate procedures to limit the transmission among the employees at your facilities. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, separating staff by off-setting shift hours or days and/or social distancing. These steps can preserve the workforce and allow operations to continue.
If you have specific concerns regarding staffing or delivery schedules related to your Weldaloy orders or services, please work with your Weldaloy purchasing contact on a revised schedule or scope of work, as is appropriate.
For questions related to this notice, please reach out to your Weldaloy purchasing point of contact, call me at (586) 758-5550, or email me at m.groen@weldaloy.com. Thanks for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Matt Groen
Purchasing Agent, Weldaloy Specialty Forgings
A Statement from Weldaloy – COVID-19 – March 16, 2020
Dear Customer,
Many people have been asking about how the COVID-19 situation has affected Weldaloy Specialty Forgings. We want to let you know that all is well. We are seeing no negative affects with our employees or with our suppliers in any way. We have and will continue to be proactive in seeking information from our suppliers—especially from overseas raw material suppliers. At this point, all of our suppliers have responded very positively. We currently have no suppliers that are seeing or expecting any types of delays. Of course, this is subject to change and if it does, we will notify you immediately. At this point, our production schedules will continue with business as usual.
Weldaloy Specialty Forgings has made some minor changes as suggested by the CDC to reduce any potential impact that the virus may have. We are limiting visitors to our office and shop while doing everything we can to promote good hygiene and prevent the spread of the virus at our campus. At this time, we are not experiencing any reductions in our business that would have any impact on you, our customer.
Similarly, and because we see each of you as partners, we are interested in ensuring the health of our business as it relates the health of your business. If you have any foreseeable risk that could affect Weldaloy Specialty Forgings in any way, please notify us immediately. We would greatly appreciate it. Any facility closing, staff/work reductions, or supply chain issues not related to Weldaloy that could affect program schedules, or anything that could limit or stop supply of our product to you, we would certainly like to know about as quickly as possible.
Regards,
Kurt Ruppenthal
Vice President and General Manager
586-758-5550
k.ruppenthal@weldaloy.com