Three months into the new norm of social distancing and after weeks of quarantine here in Phoenix, Arizona, the team at Cutters is still getting used to the changes in daily operations that have become our new normal. Those of you who have visited the Cutters Fab shop to pick up orders between March and June have probably already noticed some significant changes in the way we conduct business, but we'd like to address those changes publicly for those who have yet to experience them.
The most obvious difference in our day-to-day work is that we have consolidated our metal fabrication operations into one building. We now reside solely at 6451 S. Ash Avenue in Tempe (the building we previously reserved just for our laser cutting and custom sheet metal work). While this move wasn't anticipated, the change ultimately did make a very positive difference in the way we work together, and we're grateful to still be running the shop, no matter how many square feet we have.
Visitors also will notice that we’re seeking to limit our employees’ risk of exposure to coronavirus by adhering to a revised 4-day work week, with our updated hours of operation extending from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday. We now encourage order pickups from the roll-up door on the north side of our building. We have placed a plastic barrier at the front desk for the purpose of supporting public health, and have looked to decrease the level of physical contact we engage in with customers as much as possible--for their own safety, as well as that of our employees.
As some of you know, we have also had to downsize our crew in the wake of the economic downturn. This particular change, it is needless to say, has been the most personally and professionally difficult for us as a company. Those who remain at Cutters Fab still hope that we will have the ability to welcome back our team at full capacity very soon. Luckily, with every passing week, we seem to be coming closer to having the chance to achieve that goal.
With many of our regular customers experiencing the same struggles currently affecting the majority of businesses, we looked to provide services to those sectors where help was needed during the initial weeks of the pandemic. We've had many new opportunities in lasercutting, forming, bending, and welding parts for customers from industries we've never had the chance to work with before. Recent forays into medical and lab research equipment manufacturing have been both challenging and motivating. New projects in industrial science and engineering have pushed us to set new company bests for creativity and problem-solving. We even had the chance to team up with a partner company to create permanent protective barriers to improve public health standards for a local establishment.
And of course, we were also privileged to be asked to take on more personal jobs that made a difference to local communities during difficult times (we made the front page of this community newspaper for helping this local country club find a place to display art made by the community's residents during quarantine).
We are very encouraged by the steady growth of activity we've seen in the metal fabrication industry over the last month. While we know our larger struggle as a society is not yet over, we are working harder than ever before to make sure we can offer our support where it's most needed to the absolute best of our ability. We are working harder than we ever have in hopes that a brighter future for all is not far away.
We hope that you and your families have been safe and well. Thank you all for bearing with us during these unpredictable times.
--Cutters Fabrication Solutions
