We know\nyou\u2019re probably tired of talking about COVID-19, but it feels important and\nnecessary to address how this virus is impacting current customers and\nprospects. We always talk about labor issues being reduced with robots, but I\ndon\u2019t think many people considered the health aspect of less labor on farm\nbefore recent times. In a season where we are hearing stories of farmers not\nallowing workers to leave the farm, who are delivering food and supplies to\ntheir workers so they remain quarantined and out of human contact, we are more\ngrateful than ever for robots. One less man-powered job on the farm means less\nrisk of this virus spreading on our robot farms, and that means more safety and\nsecurity for our customers and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Governor\u2019s order given Thursday,\nMarch 19, 2020, we (Lely Center Mid-Atlantic, a division of Fisher &\nThompson, Inc.) are continuing operations as an essential business operating\nunder the \u201cSupport Activities for Animal Production\u201d Industry Group. As of\nMarch 24th<\/sup>, we are continuing operations as normal as possible. At this\ntime, all Fisher & Thompson branches remain closed to walk-in customers.\nAll employees who can work from home are doing so. Personnel working in the\noffice are taking extra precautions to distance themselves from others and\nmaintain extraordinary sanitation throughout the day. Service technicians are\nbeing dispatched from their homes and are only visiting their local shop for\nparts. Technicians are currently given the freedom to choose whether they feel\ncomfortable enough to visit farms for routine maintenance. Emergency call hours\nare being staffed as normal. We have communicated to all of our robot customers\nthe guidelines for when and how they may approach Lely Center Mid-Atlantic\npersonnel on a farm. At this time,\nFisher & Thompson does not expect any delays in service or parts due to\nCOVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lely North America does not anticipate any delays or\ndisturbances in robot production or parts at this time. Extra parts are being\ndelivered to Canada in preparation for a potential border closure. As of now,\nLely North America is continuing with business as usual. Should borders be\nclosed, this could be subject to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As much of the world\nis practicing self-distancing, we want to encourage the use of social media outlets\nfor updated information from Lely. Both Lely Center Mid-Atlantic and Lely North\nAmerica have many resources online to answer your robotic milking questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n See below for robotic resources to browse through at home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n See Lely North America’s Facebook Page Here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n See Lely Center Mid-Atlantic’s Facebook Page Here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n See Lely’s website here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n