It has been a full two months since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic started closing Canadian and American businesses, and anyone still operating has moved to online sales or curb pick-up where possible. Many businesses had to think quickly as to what they were going to do and how to do it properly. What is the next step for the businesses that can reopen and those that might never re-open?
We are mainly a service provider and have been classified as essential, but we are still affected by many external factors – and this is one huge change to say the least. Many of our customers are in the retail market and we know for certain they have all felt the financial pinch. Regular maintenance will continue, but capital equipment replacements probably won’t for some, while many yearly budgeted projects are on hold.
Springbank has been working with our customers to see where they can reduce their consumption of electricity, gas, and water. One good example is a cooling tower, as it can use thousands of extra dollars in water, if the fill float is not adjusted correctly. Also, fresh air dampers that don’t close properly are wasting energy and that is why maintenance is more key now then ever.
Read More: The Must Have Commercial HVAC Maintenance Checklist
Will business return back to the way it was? We don’t think so. We have all learned a lot from this major change in the way business is conducted and many have figured out a very effective way to work from home. It will take time before we will know for certain what the new business landscape will be going forward. The most important lesson here is to be prepared for anything and be able to react quickly.
Stay well and be safe!
Gregg Little, Paul De Thomasis, and Hugo Lopes are co-owners of Springbank Mechanical Systems. They can be reached at 905-569-8990, or via email at gregg@springbank.com or paul@springbank.com or Hugo@springbank.com.