Covid-19/Coronavirus Notice

November 2021 Update:   

• Pickering are maintaining operations throughout this difficult period.
• All UK operations are running as normal, at 100% production capacity.
• Our Czech Republic operations for volume manufacturing are currently operating at 90% production capacity due to increased infection rates in that country.
• Extended lead times can, in some cases, be expected due to material shortages.
  

The team here at Pickering understands that there remains a great amount of concern, uncertainty and anxiety around COVID-19 or the "Coronavirus". The safety and wellbeing of our customers and our employees is of the highest priority. We are prepared to make sure we can continue to support your applications without delay and with outstanding service.

Pickering Group Coronavirus Manufacturing and Supply Chain Resilience 

• We operate design, production and distribution facilities in both the UK and Czech Republic.
• We are a vertically integrated manufacturer, nearly all production processes are carried out “in-house”, which reduces our vulnerability to external disruption.
• We generally have high stocking levels, therefore our vulnerability to short-term components shortages caused by Coronavirus are minimized, with some exceptions where there are currently supply chain delays, please contact your local sales office for more detail.
• We have a very strong balance sheet (equivalent to one year's annual sales revenue) and high cash reserves (equivalent to 35% of annual sales revenue) with no borrowings at all, therefore we expect to have more than the required financial firepower to withstand potential shocks due to the Coronavirus pandemic over the coming year.
• We have taken extensive steps to fully support our staff and to maximize Coronavirus safety at all of our facilities as well as to enable home working whenever required.

Our commitment to our employees’ safety and well-being drives our day-to-day operational practices so we can provide the unparalleled service to our customers. As such, the present COVID-19 outbreak presents a unique challenge in meeting two overriding concerns, protection of employee safety and customer satisfaction. To limit the potential impact of COVID-19 on our employees, company operations, customers, partners and suppliers, we have taken the following cautionary measures:  

1. Employees are now traveling for business (only to countries with low infection rates)
2. Employees are able to work from home when required.
3. Enforcement of social distancing of 2 meters at all times.
4. Any employee who has visited a country subject to Center for Disease Control (CDC), UK Foreign office and World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus travel advisories within the previous two-week period, whether for business or personal purposes, is instructed to stay away from their office for 14 days, and if able, work remotely during that period. Unless they are exempt due to vaccination status.
5. All international travel within the last two weeks by employees, including travel by household members, or planned international travel through 2020, is to be reported to Human Resources. 
6. Increased use of Video Conferencing, Teams or Zoom in all Pickering facilities worldwide. We also strongly encourage this for communication with customers, partners and suppliers.
7. Two marquees (tents) and one stretch tent have been erected outside to allow meetings to take place with fresh airflow.
   
8. Starting in November this year, all UK employees are having weekly rapid lateral flow COVID-19 tests.

In addition, we have recommended that employees follow the same simple hygiene habits that protect against the seasonal flu virus in order to protect against exposure to COVID-19, including: