30.03.2020
A message from Wilo (UK) Managing Director- Lee Tebbatt:
With the UK now in its second week of ‘lockdown’ we wanted to reassure you that at Wilo, our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of both our team and customers. We thank our suppliers, service partners and distributors for their support as we work together to keep the UK’s water flowing during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Proactive Preparation
We have been preparing for a potential crisis of this magnitude for some time, well before the Covid-19 pandemic was declared. Last year we began to assess risk should a global crisis take place and how this would impact production and service at Wilo. Following our research, we instigated numerous precautionary measures including flexible manufacturing across our various production sites to enable us to move the production of some components between factories. In addition, stocks have been de-centralised where possible to support continuity of both production and delivery/logistics.
We specifically created the Wilo Corona Task Force in early January when the issue of Covid-19 was emerging with significance in China. The Task Force quickly reviewed the potential risk to our people, production facilities and supply chains with measures put in place to protect our people as a priority. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the 900+ Wilo employees in China.
As Coronavirus has spread across the world, the Task Force and subsequent contingency planning has been integral in ensuring we as a business are prepared as much as we possibly can for the pandemic.
We not only have available stock and manufacturing capability for some time ahead, but our IT infrastructure has allowed us to continue providing our high level of service; from remote working for our office-based teams to utilising the ‘Wilo-Live Assistant’, a web-based remote support tool that puts a Wilo Engineer in direct and live contact with the end-user via live video link.
In addition, as a sign of our gratitude and support, the Executive Board of WILO SE is making significant donations to a Wilo solidarity fund set up specifically to help our teams exposed to particular risk during the Corona crisis.
Corporate Responsibility
Our pumps and pumping systems are used widely by the UK Water Authorities and other Utilities. Having access to clean water and the correct processing of wastewater and sewage is really important during normal times, therefore ensuring this service continues during the Coronavirus crisis is critical so not to put public health at risk or place additional pressures on the health services.
In addition, thousands of our pumps are located in state services such as hospitals, care homes, prisons, Ministry of Defence facilities, as well as residential multi-occupancy accommodation blocks to provide drinking water, waste management and heating/cooling systems. It is our responsibility in this time of crisis to continue providing our services throughout the UK, with these locations as our top priority.
In the face of this adversity, we feel it is important to stand shoulder to shoulder with our market partners to collectively ensure that the nation’s basic services are provided as the situation continues to evolve. The Wilo organisation is very well placed to mitigate risks, proactively manage the challenges and protect our people and our customers as we look to the future positively.
From us all at Wilo, stay safe and take care and we will continue to keep the UK’s water flowing.
Lee Tebbatt
Managing Director, Wilo (UK).