As distributors of wire rope, rigging equipment, and load securement products grapple with the rapidly evolving impacts of Covid-19 on their operations, Wire Rope Exchange has been sharing updates from distributors and manufacturers on our social media accounts.  Scroll down for links if you are not already following us. 

We will work to keep this page updated with the latest information we have – and if you are a distributor or manufacturer and would like to be included as we update this page or additional news items, please send a note to editor@wireropeexchange.com or feel welcome to give us a call.  Despite “social distancing” protocols, you can always be sure that we’ll be glad to hear from you!

While this is far from a complete list, here is a look at the response to-date from various companies around the industry and some links to select additional resources:

Monday, March 23:

Wirop Americas will be modifying our operations starting Tuesday March 24 through Friday April 03 and will take the below actions as we do our part to keep all employees and customers safe. We greatly appreciate your business and hope to limit any disruptions in our service to you.

• All deliveries and in the field service work will be suspended until further notice.
• Sales operations will continue as we engage work from home capabilities. We are available via phone and email, as usual. 
• Warehouse operations will cut back to Mondays and Thursdays each of the next two weeks. Please note orders may not be available for same day pickup or shipment.

Associated Wire Rope & Rigging reports that they are: “maintaining commitment to our customers by remaining open to process and ship orders, but you will see some changes. All travel has been suspended for the present time. Phones and emails are fully covered, and orders will be accepted and processed as they have been in the past. Given the current government mandates, our warehouse facilities will remain open for business, but will only be having enough staff on hand to process critical orders. Our plan is to split our crew in half and have them alternate weekly shifts. We will receive shipments and will ship what we can each day, but it will obviously be less than we’ve been able to do before.”

From Modulift via LinkedIN:  “Whilst it’s business as usual here at Modulift, our thoughts are with you and your families during this time.“

Sunday, March 22:

Chant Engineering reported via LinkedIN that while the state of Pennsylvania is under a “shelter in place” order, they are considered a critical defense supplier, and will be open.  They ask their local vendors not to visit their facility until the PA COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, and will be operating from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern time.

Saturday, March 21

Alps Wire Rope reports via LinkedIN that our businesses at all 3 locations, St. Charles, IL, Harrisburg, PA & Houston, TX will remain open come Monday morning and production levels are still at normal capacity.

The Caldwell Group also reports that while a “shelter in place” order is in effect in Illinois, it continues full operations with very little disruption.  The company is an exception as it manufactures products used by industries deemed essential.  Customer Service and Application staff are equipped remotely, and “We’re here to assist in any way possible.” adds Darrin Noe, Director of Sales.

Friday, March 20:

Holloway Houston indicated via social media that their rental department is “up and running”.

Thursday, March 19:

Mazzella Companies reports that they are open for business, and issues a more complete statement (click for link) noting that they do not see or anticipate any supply chain issues at this time, and have initiated a variety of proactive safety measures.

LGH US provided this statement from their President, Tony Fiscelli: “Over the past few weeks our teams have been working hard in establishing plans and testing systems to allow for continued business operations in the event of local or potentially nationwide business shutdowns.”

LGH UK indicated via LinkedIN that while their office staff are working from home, their operations are ongoing.

Dynamic Lifting Solutions in Houston reports that they are “fully operational while keeping the health and well-being of our employees at the forefront. We are maintaining all project deadlines from our customers so that their businesses and schedules are not altered.”

Wednesday, March 18:

The Crosby Group posted a statement on their website reiterating its commitment to its customers and their employees, and reports that it has suspended employee travel by air and rail, as well as in-person training sessions through April 30.  Follow the link for the entire statement.

Harrington Hoists and The Peerless Group are operating to support customers under a comprehensive plan to safeguard workers and serve customers.

Tuesday, March 17

Tandemloc reported that they are conducting business as normal with safety measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

U.S. Rigging Supply issued a statement outlining their commitment to keeping vital sectors supplied, and adopting CDC Guidelines and extra precautions while maintaining regular operating hours. 

Monday, March 16:

Bison Wire Rope initiatied a policy of handling all in-store items for their customers, from selection to loading into vehicles.

From other industry sources:

The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) released a statement describing changes to its operation at this link.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association set up a “Command Center” page on their website which includes numerous helpful links

The NCCCO released these guidelines with regard to candidates and certificates.

Among other media outlets, Construction Business Owner (a respected publication with far more reporting resources than we can muster!) is providing wide coverage of the construction industry’s response which may be of interest particularly to those who work in or supply that industry sector.

For the most immediate updates, and for posts from across the industry that we often share, you can follow us at any or all of these social media accounts:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/wireropeexchange/

LinkedIN:  www.linkedin.com/company/wire-rope-exchange/

Twitter:  twitter.com/TheWRExchange

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/wire_rope_exchange/

Finally, our present intention is to puslish our March/April issue in early April as planned, and we are not aware of any reason that shoud not happen on schedule at this time.  It will include features on two major suppliers to our industry and much more.  We look foward to sharing it with you!