Your Stories: COVID-19 Business Impact

Your Stories

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Business Impact

The Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the business community and the people it supports. Since the beginning of pandemic protocols, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce has collected photos and stories of how members are coping, helping, and changing. The photos below illustrate the challenges, triumphs, pain, and unforeseen circumstances this historic moment in our nation’s history has brought to businesses in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region. Note: Some photos were submitted before current masking and distancing protocols.

L-Tron Corporation

“Business has dropped off significantly apart from our essential business clients. Over the last weeks during the COVID-19 crisis, our essential clients continue to place orders, and in many cases, demand has increased. Demand for our mobile X-ray components used on the healthcare front lines has tripled, and we have kept right up with delivery. Our essential team is diligently working on-site, not only to keep up with demand, but to deliver the quality that we promise.”

New York Electrical Inspection Agency

Jewish Senior Life

“Jewish Senior Life has distributed more than 12,000 pounds of food to 500 employees. Food giveaways have included chicken dinner packages, picnic kits, garbage plates, and a farmer’s market featuring fresh produce. We want to show our appreciation to employees – our everyday heroes – for all their hard work every day to ensure the health and safety of our residents.”

Black Button Distilling

“Based in Rochester, we are out there performing electrical inspections throughout the state. We believe that electrical inspections should educate, not intimidate. Our inspectors put a high value on safety, communication, technology, and exceptional customer service.”

“When it looked like we were going to need to shut down our production facilities in light of the pandemic, we instead made the critical decision to shift our operations to help address the shortage of hand sanitizer. In less than 48 hours we learned a new set of federal regulations, retooled a major production plant, and trained teams of employees to make a food grade product for the first time.”

“We are providing fiber-optic internet to the community, a vital service that many rely on to live, work, learn, and play. As we continue to connect homes to our service, the health and safety of customers and employees is the top priority. Our technician team is trained to follow CDC protocol, equip with masks, gloves, shoe covers and sanitizer, while ensuring that all customers are comfortable before we begin a home installation.”

LiDestri Food and Drink

“We have donated dozens of pallets of pasta sauce and salsa to Foodlink and started manufacturing “Recipe 21” hand sanitizer through our spirits division. A portion of the sanitizer sales proceeds is going to charitable organizations including CORE, Children of Restaurant Employees, which assists food service workers in crisis.”

CAUSE + EFFECT Strategy

“In spite of all the stress and worry about work (and life) the last month, there’s this. And this, is what we’ll never forget. #silverlinings #motivation”

Huther Doyle

“We want the community to know that Huther Doyle is here - ready, willing and able - to provide Substance Use Disorder services via telehealth. We are accepting new clients. Please reach out if you or a loved one are struggling.”

Foodlink and Julia K Caters

Thank you to the wonderful team at Julia K Caters for working with our Foodlink kitchen staff to produce additional healthy meals for schoolage kids at our Rochester sites! We were happy to collaborate with and support a great local biz during these challenging times.”

“Since this pandemic started, we have been providing family meals for four each week for our furloughed team members. Our Henrietta location provides 33 employees and their families with free meals. As they said, “We’re all family!” Yep, we sure are!”

FASTSIGNS of Rochester

FASTSIGNS has put all essential business on high priority. Distancing signs were designed from the start of COVID-19 and later we started producing face shields for medical and law enforcement. The safety of our community is important to us. We also want to do our part stopping the spread to reopen ALL local businesses!”

The Perfect Granola

“More than 100,000 Perfect Granola pouches were donated to support Feeding America banks throughout New York and about 50 school districts to supply children with healthy food. The silent heroes are those on the front lines distributing to the hungry. Proud to do our part.”

Adrian Jules

“Adrian Jules has shifted production to medical PPE masks. We’re so grateful we get the opportunity to give back to the community. We’re in this together and the team at Adrian Jules loves that we get to be a part of making a difference in people’s lives! The real heroes are on the front lines. We are just fortunate we get to help!”

Rochester Midland Corp. and Iron Smoke Distillery

“We are delighted to be collaborating with Iron Smoke to try to scale hand sanitizer production as quickly and safely as possible. The raw material supply side has been incredibly volatile and both Rochester Midland Corporation and Iron Smoke have been working hard to fill the needs of our community and others in need.”

“Web Seal is die-cutting components, such as these plastic parts for face shields, to supply local and regional companies who are manufacturing essential equipment and supplies for health care and other vital industries. This is not the way we had hoped to celebrate our company’s 60th anniversary this year, but we are honored to do our small part in helping everyone to more successfully get through this crisis.”

Tiny Fish Printing

“Tiny Fish Printing had to furlough 80% of our staff. Two local artists designed shirts for Tiny Fish, which are up in our online store. $5 from each item purchased will go Foodlink. The rest of the money will be divided among our impacted staff.”

Sager Beer Works

“Sager Beer Works released All-Together IPA. A New York State IPA, it’s a cross between West and East coast styles. A bit of fruitiness and hop bitterness. All proceeds will provide financial support to our furloughed employees.”

Century Mold

“Century Mold has shifted operations to making medical shields for doctors and nurses on the front lines. It’s been difficult, but fortunately, we have a company that worked many years to put ourselves in a position to weather a storm. We’ll weather this storm the best we can. We’re not worried about the future. We just need to get through this dark period.”

Rochester Red Wings

“Our AMAZING food and beverage department donated 300,000 of their medical grade gloves to Monroe County to be used to help us beat this virus and get us back to baseball!”

“We know these are hard times and many are feeling the effects. We feel it is our responsibility to continue to support those in need. One way to do this is by supporting local food banks that can provide food directly to those who need it most. Given the unknown duration and overall impact of this crisis, Wegmans has donated $4 million across all our partner food banks and continues to support our community partners directly as needed to successfully get through this crisis.”

Eastman Kodak Company

“In an effort to provide assistance during the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, Kodak has entered into an agreement with New York State to supply isopropyl alcohol to aid in the production of “NYS Clean” hand sanitizer for use in New York.”

ConServe

“The ConServe team is embracing technology to continue to have successful business meetings. As a team, we can do anything!”

JSM Technology

“JSM Technology is using its Shelter Goods Program to deliver care packages to local EMTs and workers at the Palmyra Road post office in Pittsford.”

CRH Americas/Oldcastle

“The CRH Americas/Oldcastle Rochester recruiting center has moved to virtual meetings. We make safety our family business and it is the first value we operate by at CRH. We protect each other, look out for one another, and when we see something, we stop and do something.”

“PrintRoc is open for business, currently working on medical packaging printing. PrintRoc’s mission is to improve the lives of all segments of our community. This includes customers, vendors, employees, and all people of the communities we serve.”

Fisher Associates

“Our Fisher Associates team still met for a virtual happy hour and some even gave home tours! Things definitely look different but staying connected is now more important than ever.”

RP Fedder Industrial

“RP Fedder, a premier filter solution supplier for some of the world’s largest companies, donated a roll of filter media to a local group of volunteers that is sewing masks for healthcare workers throughout the region. The RP Fedder donation is enough to complete 2,000 masks.”

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester

“Lollypop Farm has shifted some animal care to volunteer foster homes and limited our team members in the shelter to care for the most critical cases. Animal intake is restricted to urgent cases like Enzo’s broken legs and adoptions are virtual and by appointment only. Through this all, we are inspired by the spirit of the community providing support for us and so many who are on the front lines caring for each other.”