A Message from our Presidentheadshot of WSI president

March 25, 2020

RE: WSI COVID-19 Updates: Essential Services and General Updates

To our valued Customers, Vendors, A+D Partners, and WSI community,

First, I hope and trust that you are doing everything possible to keep yourselves and your families safe during this unprecedented time. First and foremost is the safety and wellbeing of our team members, families, friends, and customers as we adjust to the radical changes we are experiencing daily.  It is an uncertain time for our normal operations but one that, I think, is bringing us closer together – at least to six feet. The power of our technology platforms has become critical to communication and more importantly to staying in-touch. Through Microsoft Team Meetings, we have all now met family members, pets, and experienced the personal side of our colleagues while meeting.  It is inspiring and comforting to impose, if only for even a few minutes, on our personal lives.

I want to provide an update on how we, Workspace Interiors, and our manufacturer partners are working to continue to meet your, our customers’, needs. As many states have mandated shelter-in-place orders, we are experiencing the challenges resulting.  Many of our manufacturers are either operating on a limited basis or have temporarily suspended manufacturing for a short period of time.

Steelcase has implemented a policy that complies with the State of Michigan guidelines for supporting businesses that are defined as “essential”.  Per Michigan’s order, “essential” is defined as any client who provides healthcare and other life-sustaining services, as well as any client who is critical in resolving this pandemic crisis. It is important to remember that manufacturers employ 1,000’s of folks who, like us, are concerned with remaining healthy and who are also under the same shelter-in-place order.  Steelcase has committed to protection of its team as each of us has.

As a valued client, we are committed to responding to your on-going needs during this crisis. We will continue to provide services, logistics, specifications, design assistance, and more as is necessary to support you.  New projects and orders will be evaluated using the “essential” criteria defined above.  If there are alternative products that could meet your needs that remain available, we will provide those to you as well.

There is nothing more important than our collective transparency and credibility with our team and with YOU.  We must remember why these state orders are in place – to protect the maximum number of people from exposure.  We know we will get through this unprecedented crisis by cooperating with these orders.

Specific to Steelcase, the announced price increase scheduled to go into effect on April 20 has been suspended. 

As we continue to monitor and navigate the changing environment we work, we want to Thank you for your continued business and trust in our Team and our Company.  Please reach out directly to any one of us should you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts.

Regards,

Bob Feathers, President and CEO, Workspace Interiors, Inc.