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28 PalletCentral • March-April 2021 palletcentral.com Randy Pando Blade Sales Manager, Wood-Mizer During 2020 and even as we migrate into 2021, Wood-Mizer continues to face the now common challenges faced by many companies of staying safe and healthy while remaining productive in a business environment. In order to address these challenges, Wood-Mizer has invested in our workforce, additional safety measures, and technology. We have set-up sanitation stations at each entrance of all Wood-Mizer facilities across the globe with complimentary face masks, face shields, hand sanitation, and directions on social distancing. In addition, all work stations and equipment that our production staff use is cleaned and sanitized prior to each shift. ese important safety measures have provided our employees with the necessary items and training to remain safe and healthy while working onsite. e majority of our office and customer service staff are working from home. Wood-Mizer has supplied laptops, improved phone technology, and computer monitors that provide a productive environment for employees working remotely. Most staff meetings are now virtual and we have found that employees that are able to work from home continue to be productive and engaged wherever they work. For the future, our goal is to continue to manufacture our world-leading sawmill and wood processing products as safely and efficiently as possible, while also providing the support necessary so that your businesses can be productive and profitable for years to come. OPERATIONAL INSIGHTS: EDUCATION & SAFETY SAFETY MEMBER COMMENTARY What is top of mind in safety for these members? Chris Lasseter General Manager, Summerford Pallet Co. e word "essential" really came to heart with all of our employees. e explanation of why we were deemed essential meant a great deal to our team. e supply chain is depending on our industry. Our employees took their job more seriously than I had seen in a long time. I believe it made them safer because they had friends who were laid off or had their companies shut down. Our workers knew how fortunate they were to have jobs, so they tended to watch out for each other a little more. Having pride in the fact that they still have a job has taken hold for many of them. However, it seems that the same 20% of our labor force that was in a constant state of flux before the pandemic is still in flux. Labor issues remain a challenge. I don't know a business owner right now who isn't trying to hire someone. ere are many government programs in place to make it more beneficial for people to stay home. I hope 2021 quickly brings people back to work, and we return to the less than 3% unemployment rate this nation had before the pandemic. iStockphoto.com/BalkansCat N WPCA members comment on currently what's working best regarding education and safety in the workplace brought about by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. ey discuss what changes or unintended benefits the pandemic brought to their business, educating the workforce on safety issues any operational challenges.

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