Current Affairs

March 24, 2020

Some Furniture Production Suspended

Some Mississippi furniture manufacturers suspending operations

Posted by: MBJ Newswires in Manufacturing, NEWS 03/23/2020

By DENNIS SEID / Daily Journal

PONTOTOC • Thousands of furniture manufacturing employees will be idled in the coming days as the coronavirus continues its march.

On Sunday, Behold Washington CEO Lyle Harris said the company would stop production at least through Friday.

In addition, Southern Motion and Fusion Furniture said they would not open Monday. The companies said results came back positive for one employee on Saturday. He had last been at the Fusion plant Thursday. Southern Motion acquired Fusion last year.

“We have been taking every necessary precaution and following every protocol, including daily sanitizing and disinfecting that is being performed several times a day throughout all key areas of the building,” Southern Motion posted on Facebook.

“In order to properly assess the situation and to protect the health and safety of all of our associates, we made the decision to shut down operations on Monday, March 23 at all Southern Furniture Industries’ locations (Southern Motion, Fusion Furniture, Cushions to Go, Recline Design, and Premier Foam),” the company said.

The production schedule for the upcoming week and updates will be provided on Monday, it said.

Southern Motion employs some 2,100 people.

At Behold Home, Harris said the shutdown will remain in effect until Friday.

“We will reevaluate the situation on a daily basis and communicate when we will re-pen through our Facebook page and local news outlets. We are in the process of establishing a team that will be working to communicate with our employees and customers,” Harris wrote to employees. “My view is that it is only a matter of time before one or multiple cases are diagnosed in our workforce.”

Behold Washington employs some 300 people.

Harris said several employees have been tested and are awaiting results and some are experiencing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. No employee has yet tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

However, he said, “Our company leadership can’t sit idly by and wait for the results. In my view, we have a responsibility to each of our valued employees and we have a responsibility to the larger communities in which we live to prevent the spread of this highly contagious virus. We have to stem the spread and social distancing and a proactive work stoppage of non-essential industry is the best and only path at this point.”

The plant shutdowns follow Franklin Corp.’s announcement Friday that it was stopping production through March 29 after an employee tested positive.

The company said they it will reevaluate the situation on Friday to decide how is best to proceed. Franklin employs about 900 workers.

https://msbusiness.com/2020/03/some-mississippi-furniture-manufacturers-suspending-operations/

March 24, 2020

Peak Panic is Over

No Refunds: Costco Hoarders Discover They Can’t Return Toilet Paper

Panic hoarders who rushed into Costco to buy years-worth of toilet paper are finding themselves out of luck when it comes to the big-box store’s typically generous return policy.

Those who have regrets after realizing that COVID-19 isn’t a ‘pooping disease’ were met with signs at various Costco locations informing them that they won’t be able to return all that toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice and lysol they bought in anticipation of a societal collapse, according to brobible.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/costco-hoarders-discover-they-cant-return-toilet-paper

March 24, 2020

Peak Panic is Over

No Refunds: Costco Hoarders Discover They Can’t Return Toilet Paper

Panic hoarders who rushed into Costco to buy years-worth of toilet paper are finding themselves out of luck when it comes to the big-box store’s typically generous return policy.

Those who have regrets after realizing that COVID-19 isn’t a ‘pooping disease’ were met with signs at various Costco locations informing them that they won’t be able to return all that toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice and lysol they bought in anticipation of a societal collapse, according to brobible.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/costco-hoarders-discover-they-cant-return-toilet-paper

March 20, 2020

The Chemical Industry is Essential

Even as states limit economic activity, the chemical industry is a key and essential industry and is demanded to keep operating.  Everchem is in PA and is an essential business and remains open to keep our customers supplied during this crisis, while putting in place protections for our employees.  So stay confident that your business will be supplied with the same level of service you are used to.  Logistics will probably get stressed during this crisis, so plan ahead!  If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your Everchem representative.

 

As an example, here are the exempt chemical businesses in California:

CHEMICAL:

Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products. • Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items • Workers supporting the production of protective cleaning and medical solutions, personal protective equipment, and packaging that prevents the contamination of food, water, medicine, among others essential products • Workers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities (particularly those with high risk chemicals and/or sites that cannot be shut down) whose work cannot be done remotely and requires the presence of highly trained personnel to ensure safe operations, including plant contract workers who provide inspections • Workers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturing.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-20/these-are-the-jobs-and-sector-exempted-from-californias-coronavirus-stay-home-order

 

March 20, 2020

The Chemical Industry is Essential

Even as states limit economic activity, the chemical industry is a key and essential industry and is demanded to keep operating.  Everchem is in PA and is an essential business and remains open to keep our customers supplied during this crisis, while putting in place protections for our employees.  So stay confident that your business will be supplied with the same level of service you are used to.  Logistics will probably get stressed during this crisis, so plan ahead!  If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your Everchem representative.

 

As an example, here are the exempt chemical businesses in California:

CHEMICAL:

Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products. • Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items • Workers supporting the production of protective cleaning and medical solutions, personal protective equipment, and packaging that prevents the contamination of food, water, medicine, among others essential products • Workers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities (particularly those with high risk chemicals and/or sites that cannot be shut down) whose work cannot be done remotely and requires the presence of highly trained personnel to ensure safe operations, including plant contract workers who provide inspections • Workers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturing.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-20/these-are-the-jobs-and-sector-exempted-from-californias-coronavirus-stay-home-order