Louisville, MS— April 2, 2020 — Senior Leadership of Polo Custom Products, a well-known manufacturer in Louisville, has had zero cases of COVID-19 related to its facility or campus.
Polo Custom Products’ Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing would like all current and prospective associates as well as the general public to know that none of Polo’s 403 associates, contractors, or individuals who has worked for or visited any Polo facility since the beginning of the year, have ever tested positive for COVID-19.
Polo Custom Products is following guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and the White House on how to deal with this unprecedented pandemic and keep our associates safe. Polo has a very specific Pandemic Plan in place with detailed procedures and actions that would be taken as a result of even a single verified case of novel coronavirus by an associate, contractor, or visitor to a Polo facility. That would include notifying every associate of the positive test result and which department and facility was impacted.
According to Mr. Weber, “The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all of us and Polo Custom Products’ first concern is for the safety and wellbeing of every Polo associate, their family members, and the communities in which we operate. Polo has implemented numerous safety protocols and temporary business process changes to protect our associates while they are at work yet still providing for continuity of business. We are following CDC recommendations and guidelines to prevent exposure and community spread of this coronavirus as much as possible. With all the new hygiene measures, travel restrictions, and social distancing procedures in place, all of Polo’s facilities are still operating".
It is critically important to Polo Custom Product’s Executive Team that the safety of our associates is the number one priority. The company feels that with all the safety protocols and temporary business processes in place, our associates are exposed to less risk entering a Polo facility that if they were to enter a grocery store, gas station, or other any other public place. There have been no associates, at any Polo location, who have tested positive for COVID-19 and if there ever comes a time when an associate, contractor, or visitor does test positive for the novel coronavirus, we will notify all associates of the confirmed positive diagnosis and immediately enact the plans to deal with the potential exposure.
Critical Manufacturer Designation
Polo Custom Products manufactures many different medical products, safety items, aerospace components, and specialized military equipment in their Louisville production facility and as a result has been designated as a Critical Manufacturer by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Their Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response dated 19 March 2020 states:
“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland security, such as health care services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
Polo’s President and CEO, Kent Lammers, stated in a notice to their customers dated March 30, “We are proud to meet our country’s call to continue providing lifesaving and critically important products during this unprecedented pandemic. The dedication and devotion of our employees and management team is appreciated by Polo’s senior leadership, our customers, and our country. We will continue to work closely and coordinate with our customers, suppliers, Federal, state and local governments and logistics providers to ensure the safety of our workforces while supporting the needs of the public, the healthcare sector, and our national security interest. While our designation as an essential business is important to many across the country, we have a thorough and comprehensive plan in case anyone at our facility displays symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19. Our associates’ best interests will be first and foremost during this crisis. Our senior management team meets daily to assess the current, local situation and communicates on a regular basis for full transparency to our teams.”
