Finding ways to serve customers and those in need

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, my priorities were protecting our 400 employees as well as securing the supply chain. I started devising a strategy during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when I was on Rosemary Beach in Florida with my wife and two daughters. At that time, I never thought the pandemic would escalate so much, especially in the United States. I put together a team of three people to assess our imports from Asia. Our coconut water and rice come from Thailand. We buy products from five vendors in China, but only one is a major item for us — garlic. We evaluated those shipping channels because when you order goods from overseas, two months can pass before you receive them. I knew if I could get the products out of the manufacturing plants to the docks and onto a ship, I’d be safe. In January, for example, we ordered six months’ worth of garlic. By mid-February, vessels were unable to dock in China, causing garlic prices to skyrocket.

In February, I assembled a different team to address human resources and safety concerns. We have a protocol in place for emergencies like hurricanes or fires that may force a temporary shutdown. You can prepare for a hurricane. You can’t foresee a fire, but there are defined steps to take when fires end. A pandemic is different. You don’t know how long it’s going to last. It’s really hard to plan from a holistic perspective, and you can only do so much. We came up with a three-part road map. Phase one was proactive. We acted on aspects within our control, such as stocking up on certain supplies. By March 13, we moved to phase two: execution. I sent 90 percent of my office staff home to telecommute. Most of our salespeople conduct business from our call center, but we asked our outside reps to adopt that call center mentality as well, and not to see customers unless they took the appropriate precautions.