Governor Whitmer announced yesterday that Michigan’s stay home order is extended through May 28. While the extension may feel discouraging, it allows for the return of manufacturing, which brings good news to share.
- T.R. McTaggart will open this coming Monday, May 11. The opening process will be gradual as we work to secure orders, but it is a step in the right direction. With tourism across the country on hold, many of our regular customers will require smaller orders or none at all, so we will need to be strategic as we come back online. The employees who will be returning to work have been contacted, and those not returning right away on Monday have been given an update on their status.
- The Quality Inn in West Branch will re-open on Wednesday, May 13. With manufacturing back online, construction restrictions lifted, golf courses open, and travel increasing, we believe there will be enough demand to warrant opening. We will have to adjust from how we traditionally operate, and business will likely be slow at first, but I believe the time is right to open our doors. The Super 8 in West Branch and the Super 8 in Houghton Lake will remain closed, however, and we will monitor business levels at the Quality Inn to help determine the right time to open those locations.
- Three Subway locations will also be re-opening on May 13. Units 307 (Gaylord), 467 (Flushing), and 451 (Orion) will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday after being closed for several weeks. We have seen encouraging signs these last few weeks across our other Subway locations that business is increasing and so it is time to bring these locations back up. Like all Subways, these units will be open for take-out, drive-thru, and delivery only as the executive order precludes dine-in until at least May 28. As such, the LumberJack restaurant will remain closed until dine-in service is once again an option.
- With locations re-opening and many employees returning to work for the first time in weeks, it is imperative we continue to keep our employees’ health and safety top-of-mind. As a reminder, please continue to monitor your health for possible COVID symptoms by referencing the posters in your location or viewing the training in WorkJam. While it is impossible to know how long this pandemic will last, we can be almost certain that checking for symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or a fever of 100.4 or higher will be part of our daily lives at least into next year. Remember, if you are showing any of these symptoms, contact your manager before reporting to work.
While lifting restrictions and opening more locations is an encouraging sign, we will proceed cautiously throughout the coming weeks, into the summer, and beyond. Until then, I am happy to welcome back those employees who have been on lay off, and to those still not back to work – we hope to get you back soon.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Abby Moniz
President, Forward Corp.