At Watson, we have been seeing such incredible work from our valued customers throughout our portfolio; to honor them for their bravery, their hard work, and positivity during a time of extreme difficulty, we have created our Community Spotlight Blog Series to share what our customers are doing to maintain a healthy approach while emphasizing that we are all united in purpose helping others.
We hope this will encourage everyone to see the great work being done all around us, to keep our spirits lifted and the economy going while keeping our families safe and our sense of community strengthened.
Watson Land Company’s logistics customers have taken a number of steps to ensure that the consumer pipeline for goods is filled, employees are protected, and customer satisfaction is ensured as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re proud of corporations such as XPO Logistics, Kenco Group, as well as, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, many of which are taking a proactive approach. And even though consumers have noticed some changes in their ability to purchase products at essential stores and receive shipments from online suppliers, these companies have been working hard to maintain business as usual in light of the lockdowns.
Although the virus has disrupted the American economy, Watson and the aforementioned companies are adapting and responding to it. There has been a surge in demand for certain products and materials and the logistics industry is pulling off an amazing accomplishment by delivering the goods that consumers are buying in large quantities.
This includes businesses like Kenco Group, a third-party logistics company with a distribution center at Watson Corporate Center Chino. With an estimated count of one hundred facilities, the organization remains fully open with a significant commitment to keep supplies flowing to all of their sites.
Likewise, all terminals at Port of Long Beach, as well as, Port of Los Angeles are currently operational, and they are conducting business as usual, including the Los Angeles Pilot Service. These organizations are working through the difficulties to make certain their critical portion of the supply chain carries on as normal, in order for essential stock to remain available.
XPO Logistics has adapted its protocols to respect shelter-in-place guidelines while keeping its workers and customers safe. Promoting a no-touch transport system, XPO customers can request contact-less delivery, and parcels are then dropped off at the customer’s designated location for them to pick up, rather than involving a physical hand-off.
Many companies have also gone above and beyond to show incredible financial support to their employees during this stressful, uncertain time. XPO is one such corporation that has given workers security through the pandemic with hourly wage increases as well as bonuses.
Protecting the health and safety of workers during the COVID-19 outbreak has additionally been necessary to ensure employees don’t get sick or spread the virus to their families. Kenco Group has briefly closed some facilities for deep cleaning, and for those that remain open, equipment gets wiped down at the beginning and end of each shift. Kenco has also enriched its sick leave policy and decreased its attendance requirements.
XPO has instilled the practice of social distancing in its warehouses and has boosted cleaning schedules for all its locations. The corporation introduced paid pandemic sick leave and an employee assistance program that includes coverage for coronavirus testing and treatment to its list of company benefits.
The Port of Los Angeles welcomed the USNS Mercy on March 27th to serve as a referral hospital for handling the overflow of acute trauma cases and other urgent needs. This allows hospitals in the Los Angeles area to focus on the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
These companies have not only authorized extraordinary cleaning schedules, they have also uploaded detailed online resources through their corporate websites with more information.
Overall, we’re proud of our customers during this trying time in history. Each organization has taken time out from their corporate planning to think about how their workers, employees, and communities are faring under one of the most demanding economic conditions of our lifetime. It is this show of support, compassion, and resilience that aligns with Watson’s core values of helping each other during moments of crisis for the common good. It is an honor to witness these supply chain heroes in action, united in purpose, and committed to the common goal of supporting our communities through this challenging time.
In order to better connect with and serve our customers, partners, and vendors, Watson Land Company is active on a number of social media outlets. Follow us for CRE news, updates on our current and upcoming developments, and informative articles pertinent to our industry.
The Watson vision continues to unfold in Chino, California: This past month, we achieved a major milestone with one of our flagship industrial parks when the City Council officially voted to accept public improvements for Watson Industrial Park Chino Phases 2, 3, and 4.
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