March 30, 2020
Dear Valued Clients and Partners,
The past couple of weeks have been very challenging and stressful times for our staff, clients, suppliers and the greater community. The anxiety and stress is real for everyone. We are all impacted directly or indirectly. We have immune-compromised, elderly or vulnerable loved-ones. We have friends and family who have lost their jobs and some of us have already lost our jobs. We don’t know how long this is going to last or what business will look like on the other side of this.
This past week, on March 23rd, we received the list of Essential Workplaces as published by the Premier of Ontario, outlining business activity that can continue in the province. In the document under #13, 18, and 28, allowances are made for our sector to continue its work:
13. Businesses that provide support and maintenance services, including urgent repair, to maintain the safety, security, sanitation and essential operation of institutional, commercial industrial and residential properties and buildings, including, property management services, … and other service providers who provide similar service.
18. Businesses that provide materials and services for the operation, maintenance and safety of transportation systems (road, transit, rail, air and marine) including delivery of maintenance services such as clearing snow.
28. Construction work and services, including demolition services, in the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors
Understandably, we must operate differently moving forward. Our staff have and will always be my #1 priority. It is their future job security and their well being that I am 100 percent focusing on, in these frightening and unprecedented times. We’ve prided ourselves on looking after those working for Gelderman for the past 65 years. With this in mind, our Joint Health and Safety Committee has issued new COVID-19 protocols for our staff with strict guidelines to follow. These guidelines are designed to keep our staff, clients, suppliers and the communities safe:
- Our offices are closed for public walk-in traffic
- Our administration and finance teams are working from home
- Our sales and design teams are working remotely, discussing designs & projects over the phone, email and Zoom Video conferencing
- Workers will arrive on site in separate vehicles – maximum of one person per vehicle.
- Company trucks will be wiped down and sanitized each day.
- Crew members will be sanitizing their work tools, as well as not sharing tools with one another.
- All crew members will be practicing social distancing with no public interactions onsite.
- Gelderman employees have been instructed to self-monitor their health; anyone displaying symptoms will be instructed to self-quarantine until such time as they can be tested or have been symptom free for 14 days after symptoms were last experienced.
We have been working collaboratively with our local MPP’s and Landscape Ontario. With this in mind, we are optimistic about getting started this spring. Very shortly, the grass will be turning green and will be growing, the birds will be building nests for their eggs, the trees will be growing leaves, the blossoms blooming, and the weather will be turning warmer.
Having shared our new operating plan, we do not intend to pressure you in any way! We will call you prior to any site visits and if for any reason you are not able, or don’t want to receive our services at this time, just let us know and we will not attend your property. This is an exciting time of the year and Gelderman is committed to making it better for you by continuing to provide our design, landscape and maintenance services.
We hope and pray that we all stay safe during this time of uncertainty. On behalf of everyone here,
Nathan Helder, President
