‘we Recognise That Skilled Labour Will Be Needed As We Come Out And Return To Normality’
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL engineering firm Fletcher Moorland has been working roundthe-clock to keep the country moving during lockdown – by supporting some of the most critical industries.
The Stoke-based company has remained open throughout the coronavirus outbreak, supporting manufacturing and critical industries such as food and drink manufacturing, power generation, transportation and healthcare.
And the company has taken various steps to ensure staff at its Elenora Street headquarters are safe – including identifying ‘at risk’ employees and making provisions for them to work from home or to be shielded.
The company also introduced a new shift pattern to keep the number of production staff to a minimum while support staff were also instructed to work from home.
Now the firm has committed to saving as many jobs as possible – despite seeing a slight drop in business as a result of Covid-19. Managing director Matt Fletcher said: “We have taken numerous steps to protect staff here, we have risk-assessed each role and provided PPE in addition to the usual workshop PPE, gloves, masks and visors.
“Hand sanitisers are spread throughout the workshops and office areas and we have procedures from external delivery drivers to adhere to along with plenty of social distancing stickers. I think guidance has been clear throughout on what businesses can and can’t do, but common sense needs to prevail too.”
He added: “We have furloughed some staff, so with the Government support we are able to keep them on 100 per cent of their salary because we recognise that skilled labour will be needed as we come out and return to normality.
“We have seen a reduction in business, particularly from customers in the automotive, brick and tile businesses, quarrying, steel and heavy industries, but not to the extent we had feared. We’ve even taken on new business in critical areas. Our message to these industries from the beginning was that ‘we are open and available to support you’ especially when their usual suppliers closed down.”
Matt’s message to manufacturing businesses across the UK now is simply - ‘Let’s get through this.’ He said: “In the short term I would like to see manufacturing businesses ramp up their manufacturing capacity. We need to make goods and sell goods for the good of the economy. “Unfortunately there will be business casualties, but opportunity does come from adversity. I predict that new businesses will be created as we move forward and I hope that we have the spirit locally to create them. I’m not saying it will be easy, but it needs careful management and a good old British spirit of ‘Let’s get through this’.”