It’s good to be with you again as we try to conduct business as usual in the most unusual of circumstances. I’d first like to respond to a question I get regularly, and that is “How long are we going to be wearing these masks?” That is a great question and the frank answer is, I truly don’t know. The COVID situation continues to evolve with new cases currently escalating nationwide. With that in mind, our efforts to ensure team member safety must remain in force, making masks a necessary inconvenience. What I do know is that masks are the best line of defense in stopping the spread of the virus. I believe that is evidenced by the low number of employee-to-employee transmission rates at NAL. For that I am grateful and will, once again, thank you for your adherence to our safety measures.
As you know, we have provided cloth masks, which I hope you like. If not, please feel free to use the paper masks that will continue to be provided. If you would like to purchase additional cloth masks, they will be made available for the now discounted price of $2. We still request that you use only NAL provided masks.
As most of you know, we’re beginning the roll-out of an on-line health screening process. We believe this will streamline access to our buildings and continue to provide a safe environment for team members. I appreciate your support so far in the process. I know it is an adjustment to your routine and I’m grateful for your cooperation.
As we head into next week’s election, I encourage all of you to vote. Aside from it being a civic duty, voting is your chance to make your voice heard. I also encourage you to respect others’ rights to do the same. Please remember to be respectful and aware of the undeniable fact that opinions vary. The outcome of the election is certain to disappoint ½ of the country, so please be considerate of others, whether your candidate wins or loses. We can disagree without being disagreeable.
As I have mentioned, we have organized a corporate diversity committee that has already begun meeting. We intend to have similar committees at each of our locations, with those teams currently formed and expected to begin meeting before year’s end. I look forward to the work those committees will do to ensure that we remain true to our value of inclusion in the workplace.
For those of you that don’t know, November is World Quality Month. This was first introduced by the United Nations in 1990 to raise awareness of the importance of quality in any product or service. Quality is at the heart of all successful companies. Attention to quality drives customer satisfaction and business sustainability. I ask that we all recognize and reinforce the core principle of providing quality products to our customers, both internal and external. NAL’s processes are designed to ensure quality, particularly the practice of escalation of abnormalities. I’d like to emphasize the importance of that practice and that quality is everyone’s responsibility.
Lastly, I’d like to express my personal excitement for NAL’s contribution to the recent introduction of the GMC Hummer all-electric truck. GM’s advance release of this vehicle was electrifying (pardon the pun) with NAL’s lighting playing a predominant role in the introduction. I’d like to say thanks to all those involved in winning this business and to bringing our product to market. I encourage everyone to watch the following clip highlighting NAL’s lamps on the new Hummer truck.
Again, please accept my best wishes for your continued health and safety.
-Kirk Gadberry