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March 19th, 2020 | Published by NEW Construction AllianceIn just a week’s time A LOT has changed in the Badger State, and despite the fevered pitch the media is maintaining on all things Coronavirus, the news has not been all bad.
The Build Out spoke with Hope Voigt, Alliance board member and chief operating officer at Tweet/Garot, about how those changes have affected the industry.
“We haven’t seen a lot of impact yet from the industry closures with the exception of pressure on our employees as they try to manage their childcare/school closure struggles,” Voigt shared.
Voigt did share that there has been minimal impact on their project thus far, but the need for precaution is a major focus. “There is also a lot of pressure from our customers to ensure any symptomatic employees, or those who recently traveled to hotspots, are barred from jobsites to avoid spreading the virus—which we are doing.”
She believes the fact that Wisconsin’s exposure to COVID-19 is behind that of major coastal cities as a positive for preparation,“I think we are fortunate that we are a few days or weeks behind the pandemic as it is being seen on the coasts. I don’t think it is a question of if or how, but when. I believe we would be squandering valuable time if we don’t pay attention to what is happening elsewhere and using it to prepare our businesses for what will come.”
Asked about her best advice to other construction industry companies—big and small—Voigt stated:
“Short term, communicate, communicate, communicate. We have a task force assigned that we meet (virtually) with daily and our leadership is also meeting every day to respond quickly to issues as they come up. Take this seriously, it will impact all of us for a long time. At the same time, stay focused on what you do well. Keep Calm and Carry on!"