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USA
considerably. However, at the moment, compared to last year's figures domestically we are, year to date, slightly ahead.SA
Were you forced to shut down?
We did not close at all.
Were you forced to furlough and or lay off employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No, we did not furlough anyone.
Are retreaders investing in equipment during the pandemic?
Yes, we have had a few
new orders of
equipment. However,
the majority have been used.
Have you had requests for equipment from retreaders opening new plants?
There have been two.
Has the demand for plant supplies and accessories during the pandemic been up or down, and what are the most sought-after items?
We have seen a pleasant uptick in supplies which includes buffing blades, carbide rasps and expandable belts.
How has COVID-19 affected the way you go to market?
E-mails, WhatsApp, and phone calls have been an effective method since travel has been limited.
When do you expect a rebound to happen?
Domestically, I think after the cloud of the political situation at hand has been determined and we maintain our current President and administration, I believe we will see strong investment in equipment.
Have you experienced an interruption in your supply chain?
Yes, I think at some point everyone has seen a little delay. However, it was not as drastic as it could have been. I cannot state that it interfered with our business though.
What is your outlook for the balance of the year and into 2021?
I think the rest of the year will stay steady. My opinion of 2021 is as stated earlier. If we maintain our present administration the economy
will be strong. If not, I think there will be a wait and see attitude not only from our industry but that of the stock market as well. We currently have 3 positions available now, 2 for sales and 1 for a service tech.
the start of the pandemic in March, some retreaders that had purchase orders for machinery put a hold on these due to the uncertainty of future business. Although this
have had their supply chain affected by the pandemic. However, because of our long history of same vendor honour, we have been able to stay ahead of any production or
supply problems. All of our products and machine parts are in stock and ready for same-day shipment.
What is your outlook for the balance of the year and into 2021?
We will be increasing production and will soon have our employees back to full working hours at our
facility. As we move on from this pandemic, we will hire and train new employees as production purchases increase.
We are grateful to everyone, both past, and present, that have kept our business ongoing and thankful that we can continue production with the tribulations we face along with all other retread businesses during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Daniel Bermudez Zeledon: President - Tesco-Italmatic
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your overall business?
In the very first 2 to 3 weeks we saw a slowdown but after that, we saw things pick back up.
Our domestic business has actually increased on the supply side, which shows me most retreaders are very steady. Our export business is still down
ATEC Assembly room
affected some pending orders, ATEC has a backlog, and this helped us to offset production because of the slow-down in our employee work hours. We have not had to stop any of our production and, in fact, in the last two weeks of September we have received more purchase orders for machinery, and we are now at our pre-pandemic production levels.
Have you experienced any slow- pay issues due to COVID-19?
Some of our customers have been slow in payments due to the pandemic, and we have worked with each of them individually to meet the needs of their situations.
Have you experienced an interruption in your supply chain and, if so, has that affected your ability to supply your customer's needs?
Some of our vendors of machine components, parts, and products
Doug Conley: President - Shamrock Marketing, Inc.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your overall business?
Overall, our business is slightly down year-to-date. Growth and contraction depends on the product group, customer, and region. For example, businesses retreading school bus tyres, or aircraft tyres, or within certain countries, may have been growing in Q1 but fell off dramatically as schools, air travel, and even countries closed.
Were you forced to shut down? If so, for how long?
No, we did not shut down. We slowed down for a short period of time. Fortunately, retreaders in the U.S. were deemed essential, which allowed us to stay open throughout the pandemic so far.
Were you forced to furlough and or lay off employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No, luckily COVID-19 didn’t force us to furlough or lay anyone off. However, we’ve remained cautious in this regard. For example, we have hired temporarily as needed in positions that we would have hired full time in the past. Somewhat surprisingly, it remains a challenging labour market to hire in.
How has COVID-19 affected the way you go to market?
Part of our heritage as a company has been telephone sales and direct marketing. Because travel became near impossible, and trade shows
22 Retreading Business