Innovation | Cooper Healthcare Vertical | 5.2020
Essential Supplies for Essential Workers
As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the US, personal protective equipment (PPE) was in high demand and quickly became hard to find. Cooper Electric quickly went into action and did everything in their power in order to keep their associates safe including warehouse workers, drivers and counter salespeople. Once their associates at the front line were safe, they put a plan together to provide customers the PPE necessary to meet different state regulations across NJ, NY and PA so they could re-open their job sites.
“Using a pre-order form on our website is a simple way to quickly offer product to our customers – especially during an emergency where we cannot wait for the standard process of getting product online,” said Taylor Hetherington, Creative Communications Manager.
Cooper Electric’s customers have been able to quickly find and secure the product they need to continue supporting other essential businesses. They created a smooth process for setting up new vendors, products, pricing and payment terms in a very timely manner. While competitors have had higher prices and longer lead times, Cooper Electric has been able to deliver the product faster and at a value.
“Our customers have had a difficult time finding these products and are very pleased we were able to provide,” said Jack Dimmick, Tools, Hardware and Safety Division Manager for Cooper. “We also picked up new customers and activated accounts that were inactive.”
“During a crisis, it’s important to find ways to serve our customers in their time of need – whether it is a product or a new service,” said Heather Matejczyk, Digital Marketing Director, NJ & NYC.
In the middle of a crisis, Cooper found a way to build a reliable supply chain for PPE, sanitizer and disinfectant products that they never had before, providing an invaluable service to their associates and customers. With teamwork and innovation, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together!
May 15th, 2020 COVID-19 Announcement
As non-essential construction resumes in some areas, I want to take this opportunity to make you aware of some of the precautions that we have implemented to keep both our associates and customers safe and healthy as we continue to serve your needs.
- Plexi-glass shields have been installed at the counters in all branch locations.
- The number of customers allowed into our facilities will be limited based on branch size as well as social distancing requirements.
- All associates and customers will be required to wear the appropriate PPE while inside of our buildings.
- Associates will participate in a daily temperature monitoring process prior to beginning their workday.
- We have implemented a weekly electrostatic cleaning, which is in addition to our regular cleanings and more frequent wipe downs.
- Hand sanitizers are available at all locations.
- Although we will begin to welcome you into some of our branches, our curb-side pickup remains available as an option. Please follow the curbside instructions for the branch you are visiting.
- As construction becomes essential and you prepare to resume your business, please remember that we are here to supply you with necessary PPE.
For the wellbeing of our associates and customers, we will continue to enforce the safest and strictest procedures while remaining in compliance with the guidelines set forth by the states in which we operate.
We hope that you, your family, and your businesses are doing well.
Sincerely,
David Cooper
President, Cooper Electric
March 30, 2020 COVID-19 Announcement
Dear Valued Customer,
As you know, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a global health emergency and pandemic by the World Health Organization. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult and unprecedented time.
As a supplier of essential goods and services, we want you to know that our goal is to remain open throughout this pandemic in order to safely and securely support the supply of such goods and services across the economy.
As always, the health, safety, and well-being of our associates, customers, vendors, and communities at-large remain our daily focus. We are continuously updating our best practices and adopting new guidance from appropriate governmental and health agencies and officials, including, for example, cancellations of events, instituting remote work policies and travel restrictions, updating business continuity and preparedness plans, and employing heightened cleaning, health, safety, and hygiene practices at our locations and for our associates.
As we are all aware, COVID-19 has impacted and is expected to continue to impact all levels of the supply chain for the foreseeable future. The resulting product shortages, manufacturing delays, increased lead times and costs, shelter-in-place orders, border closures, and reallocations of supply by national, local, and foreign governments, among others, are all unforeseeable events outside of our control. Moreover, the ultimate duration and scope of these and other still unknown effects remain unclear. Accordingly, we must treat this pandemic as a force majeure event, which means that, for example, prior approaches, terms, conditions, commitments, and/or schedules, among others, may in certain circumstances require adjustment as we work together to navigate and mitigate the effects of this pandemic.
Although the times are tough, our company remains strong, financially stable, and operationally sound, and as we emerge from this crisis, we will have resources available to support your operations. Please keep us informed of your needs and concerns so that we can work together to navigate the impacts of this pandemic over the weeks and months ahead.
We sincerely appreciate your business, patience, and continued support.
Stay safe and healthy and know that we, as always, remain steadfastly committed to serving you.
Sincerely,
David Cooper
President, Cooper Electric
COVID-19 Announcement
To all our Customers, Associates and Business Partners:
Cooper Electric’s number one priority is to ensure the continuing health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers and business colleagues, as well as the stability of our business services.
We understand the growing concerns surrounding COVID-19 and are monitoring the outbreak and the recommendations for appropriate measures and actions. Our company is fully operational, and we are conducting business as close to normal as possible. We want to keep everyone healthy and are utilizing proactive measures with additional precautions and frequently deep cleaning our branches, offices and warehouse spaces to help fight against the spread of the virus.
We have taken actions such as recommending our associates, vendors and customers to conduct business and project meetings via digital technology such as remote conference, video conference and telephone while remaining responsive to you and to each other in the capacity you have come to expect from us. Our business services such as our digital tools will help us continue to connect with our customers to allow almost no interruption to their business.
Our parent company, Sonepar has also been monitoring the situation very closely, and for many overseas countries have taken measures and implemented best practices for their associates and customers, while maintaining an expected level of service to customers.
We remain in contact with our manufacturing partners as they monitor and assess the situation and, when possible, reconfigure their manufacturing and supply chains to minimize potential disruption in the supply of finished goods. We are asking the important questions, potential risk of longer lead times, logistical/transportation impacts and overall supply chain disruption, and will provide additional updates as new information becomes available.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and the health professionals working to care for them; We hope everyone in our business community stays healthy and safe and use proper precautions.
As the nature of our business is to support the electrical trade as well as essential facilities such as hospitals, medical facilities, and so on, we want to assure you our emergency after-hour services* are available to assist your business. If there is a true emergency impacting your projects you can contact us as follows:
- NJ, NYC/LI, Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley PA markets: (732) 571-8672
- Generators emergency: (732) 571-8672
- Legacy Friedman/Northeast PA markets: (866) 816-3732
- Upstate NY/Syracuse/Niagara Falls markets: Contact your local branch phone numbers
Communication within our company and business partners is especially critical at this time. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
David Cooper
President, Cooper Electric
*emergency service fee will be applied to customer statement
Friedman Electric rebrand to Cooper Electric
Friedman Electric has been a market leader in the electrical distribution business for over 84 years. For the past 13 years Friedman has operated as a business unit of Sonepar, the largest electrical distribution company in the world; and the last 8 years it has been part of the Cooper-Friedman organization under Sonepar.
Effective January 1, 2020 Friedman Electric will be going to market under the combined brand of Cooper Electric, a Sonepar Company. Our customers will continue to be serviced in the same manner as in the past with the same knowledgeable employees, branches, distribution model and management team. The combined brand will make our company stronger in the market, and combined resources will ensure that we continue to provide quality customer service in all aspects; this means no matter where you work, we have the services, solutions and locations to serve you throughout the tristate area in PA, NY and NJ.
We will strive to make this change as seamless as possible for our customers. Additional information will be provided as we move through this process.
We continue to look forward to providing valued services to our customers under the Cooper Electric brand. Joining together under one brand will mean greater things and a brighter future for all connected.
Thank you for your prior and future trust in us. We greatly appreciate your cooperation.
Best Regards,
David Cooper
President, Cooper Electric
