From The Desk Of Our CEO:
Greetings from Icon Foods,
Apocalyptic is the phrase I hear most often to describe what we are going through on a global basis. I am continually monitoring all viable news sources for the latest development in the COVID 19 pandemic. During bad times I remember my mom telling me “The darkest hour is just before the dawn”. I hold this concept close to my heart. From the voluminous information I have gathered, it appears that incidences of new contractions of Coronavirus in China are on a very dramatic decline.
Europe is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Case counts and deaths are soaring in Italy, Spain, France, and Germany and many countries have imposed lockdowns and closed borders. Amid these dire trends, South Korea has emerged as a sign of hope and perhaps a model to emulate. The country of 50 million appears to have greatly slowed its epidemic; it reported only 74 new cases today, down from 909 at its peak on 29 February.
Humanity will get this pandemic under control. Just days ago in Seattle the first vaccine was given to a patient on a trial basis. In the days to come it should reveal anti-bodies that can and will fight and even prevent COVID 19. See https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/first-participant-us-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-moderna-dose .
I know for some this feels like very dark times and in some ways, they are. But, times like this are what galvanize people; a common cause if you will. The façade of party, race, religion and ideology fall away revealing us as a collection of people just trying to do the best we can to survive and support each other and our families.
Keep On Keeping On
At Icon Foods it is business as usual. We are open and plan on staying open, keeping production moving and shipments dispatching. Of course, we have put in dramatic measures to ensure the safety of our employees and customers such as:
- We ask that employees avoid close contact with people who are sick and practice social distancing by keeping a six-foot radius safe zone.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- We ask that employees stay home when they are sick or even symptomatic of any ailment.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- We are committed to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Additionally, information regarding the COVID-19 has been posted throughout our plant. We have asked our team members to please take a moment to read over each detail.
As a food manufacturer I am sure one of your biggest concerns aside from family and staff, is supply chain. Icon Foods is here to reassure you that your supply through us is very secure. We have an abundance across all of our raw goods where we carry at least a three-month surplus and at least a four-month surplus of finished goods. Our supply chain is quite diverse. We take product from many parts of the globe. A diverse supply chain is a dependable supply chain.
Icon Foods Current Market Intelligence
In China officials reported only 99 new cases last week, down from around 2,000 a day just weeks ago. And for the second day in a row, none were detected in Hubei Province outside of its capital, Wuhan, the center of the outbreak. Of more than 80,000 people infected in China, over 67,000 have now recovered. ANZ Research estimated that most economic activities in China will likely return to normal by the second week of April, less than a month away.
This containment demonstrates that the natural course of the outbreak does not need to be a very high peak that overwhelms health services. This lesson in containment, therefore, is a lesson that we can learn from and adapt for our own circumstances.
China cargo flows are rapidly returning to pre-coronavirus levels. Cargo volumes and ship calls have swiftly rebounded at Chinese ports, confirming that the wheels of global trade are spinning back into motion. Boston-based big-data company CargoMetrics has spent the past decade amassing and analyzing ship-movement data and using quantitative predictive algorithms to gauge global trade. In February, it released data showing that Chinese imports and exports had fallen sharply compared with levels in 2012-19. CargoMetrics has just released updated indices showing that both import and export cargo flows (measured in terms of the mass transferred on and off ships) have reverted to historical norms.
They also noted that CargoMetrics is now analyzing the import and export flows of other coronavirus hotspots including South Korea, Italy and Iran. More good news!
While it is likely we can expect COVID 19 to continue to spread and raise havoc here in the US, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Overseas ingredient shipments have resumed and if we all follow common sense and take appropriate precautions this will all be behind us sooner than we think.Icon Foods will keep you updated as we receive more data.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your sales representative or contact us at sales@iconfoods.com
With Gratitude,
Thom King
CEO/Head Food Scientist
Icon Foods, Inc.
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