Fluid Components International (FCI) was an early responder to taking preventative and protective measures to the coronavirus pandemic to support the best interests of its employees, customers, suppliers and partners, according to a company announcement.
“The health of our employees, customers, suppliers, partners and the public is our top priority at FCI, " said Dan McQueen, president of FCI. "Our goal is to ensure and sustain our ability to supply and serve our worldwide customers in essential industries necessary for every-day life, health and safety. FCI’s management team quickly recognized the severity of the impending pandemic and began taking preparatory actions in early January to protect our employees and minimize service interruptions for our customers."
As an essential supplier to critical and necessary industries that the company serves, FCI has been operating under strict protocols consistent with best health and safety practices, all local requirements, regulations and restrictions in order to continue to provide its products, services and support to customers. The company’s global network of sales representatives and distributors are also at work to provide local sales and service support, discuss new applications and place new orders.
FCI was quickly recognized and confirmed at the U.S. and state of California levels as an essential supplier to its customers in multiple essential industries, including aerospace, conventional and nuclear electric power, water/wastewater treatment, chemicals, refineries, food/beverage, pharmaceutical and more. After deploying best practices to ensure the safety of its employees, including some unique split-staff new work schedules, FCI quickly returned to factory production and supplying its customers with products.
“Despite the inconvenience and rapid changes to their work schedules, and new safety protocols, FCI’s employees embraced the challenges, recognized the importance of their work in support our global customers in essential industries and really stepped-up,” said McQueen.
FCI’s procurement and purchasing teams took action proactively several months ago and continue to take extra measures daily that ensure its supply of raw materials to support uninterrupted manufacturing of products for FCI customers. The company’s manufacturing and quality teams rapidly adapted FCI’s processes to accommodate social distancing, work station disinfection and wearing of personal protective equipment. The company’s sales, service support and administration teams at its headquarters in San Marcos, California, and at its European subsidiaries were fully functioning remotely within days of the California and regional stay-at-home directives. Advanced planning, investment and rapid deployment of company computers, mobile phones and VPN lines allowed a nearly seamless response to both customers and suppliers. FCI continues to deploy enhanced protocols, reflecting best practices, nearly every week as more is learned about the coronavirus. Working together as part of America’s automation industry, FCI has consulted and collaborated with other instrumentation companies to develop these protocols. As they have been developed, FCI has shared them with other instrumentation companies and its suppliers, as well as the company’s global sales channel partners and distributors, so they more rapidly deploy similar best practices.
