We’re Here – Joe Virdone

Since 2004, Joe Virdone has sat at the helm of Pecora guiding the organization through extraordinary technical advancement, facility expansions, and some of the best years the company has ever experienced. But just like every other business not only within the construction/manufacturing industry, but across the globe, Joe has had to navigate production setbacks, global shipping disruptions, and unforeseen environmental disasters. To further our goal of transparency and reinforcing confidence, we sat down with Joe to discuss some of the issues Pecora is facing and what he is doing to handle or work around these problems.

Q: What is Pecora doing to protect employees and customers from exposure to Covid-19?

Joe: We have continued virtual offices where it is appropriate and have not pushed to bring people back in the office who have been working from home. We have enforced the OSHA mandates on vaccines and masks and continue to do so today. It is very important to us that our staff remain healthy and safe. That is our number one priority.

Q: How have you handled any personnel shortages?

Joe: We have had to cut responsibilities and manage schedules differently due to personnel availability. Teams are working short staffed not only in production and the warehouse, but also in support functions such as finance. It is important to spread the responsibilities for these positions without overloading the current staff. We have tried to eliminate the “nice to have responsibilities” and stick to the “need to have.”

Q: How have you communicated any issues with customers?

Joe: Our focus is to ensure our customers understand that they are very important to us. We continue to be customer-centric by keeping them up to date on the happenings of the company. We are communicating as much as if not more with our customers than ever before. We have also found that we can communicate in a more efficient way by identifying specifically what the customer is looking for, so we can answer their questions and address needs. Our Technical Service department continues to service accounts virtually through training session with distributors, architects, specifiers, and contractors. There is always someone in Customer Service to answer your phone call which is something we have stressed since the beginning of the pandemic.

Q: How have you handled global raw material and shipping issues?

Joe: Raw material and supplies situations have impacted us as well as countless companies across the globe in terms of cost and the ability to supply products. We are under allocation on almost every raw material, especially our critical ones. The combination of raw material and labor shortage inconsistencies have caused us to be more flexible in our production scheduling. 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to inform our customers about?

Joe: For 160 years, Pecora has developed a reputation within the industry not only as a manufacturer of quality construction products, but as an employee- and customer-focused organization. We are proud of our devoted and resilient staff who continue to roll with the punches as they come in. We are also thankful for our dedicated customers who have held on and continue to work with us. We will get through this, by working together.

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