In our April 8th newsletter, I remarked that we have the best people in the business. It’s a statement that I truly believe, and it is proven each and every day through the actions you are taking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we are all contributing our share, I would like to specifically commend the men and women of RPM who are on the front lines of our businesses—those who continue to keep our manufacturing and distribution facilities operating. Your efforts allow us to keep meeting our customers’ needs and moving the business forward. Stories are pouring in from RPM companies around the world about the incredible work that you are doing every day.
In a remarkably short period of time—in many cases just days—you have met the challenge to revamp your work environments and adopt new procedures so that you can keep one another safe and our facilities clean, all while continuing to maintain business operations. In addition to establishing dedicated stations for checking the temperatures and the health of associates entering our facilities, you have also found ways to maintain social distancing. You are using visual markings around your facilities. You have changed the flow of traffic in confined spaces, like hallways and stairwells. And, some of you have gotten extra creative—such as our Canadian associates, who are using six-foot (two-meter) hockey sticks to help keep proper distance from one another.
In this time of crisis, we have pulled together and become stronger as a result. There has been a spirit of collaboration and a sharing of ideas, materials and resources that crosses all facets of the business—companies, groups and international borders. Best practices have travelled across the company as quickly as Microsoft Teams meetings and email have allowed.
All of your efforts are paying off. Other than facilities that were forced to temporarily close due to government mandates, the vast majority of our 150 plants remain operational. And, with approximately 15,000 associates employed around the world, only 19—or 0.1%—of our employees have reported testing positive for COVID-19. While just one person falling ill is one too many, in all of these cases, we have taken the necessary precautions to see that they stay home and seek immediate medical care. Plus, we enacted procedures to close their places of work, have them thoroughly disinfected and then reopened after an appropriate waiting period. Our low percentage of people contracting COVID-19 is a testament to your efforts to establish and follow good health protocols.
So, why do we have such incredible people working at RPM? I think much of it stems back to the people philosophy of my grandfather, who founded RPM in 1947. His approach was to “Hire the best people you can find. Create an atmosphere to keep them. Then, let them do their jobs.” It’s a philosophy we continue to carry out to this day. It is because we have people like you that we will get through this crisis and be poised to resume our growth trajectory.
As always, I would like to thank you for your investment of time and talent in RPM’s continuing success. I wish you and your families continued good health.
Sincerely,
Frank C. Sullivan
Chairman and CEO
