Ethos, lockdown and ‘doing the right thing’

What was your business ethos prior to COVID-19? How has it changed throughout the pandemic? If it has changed, is this something you plan on continuing going forward? The pandemic has had one interesting side effect – it’s brought out the best (and sometimes the worst) in humanity and has highlighted where companies need to improve when dealing with employees, customers and the general public.

‘Doing the right thing’ has always been a part of Liniar’s ethos and this has been further reinforced as the coronavirus pandemic progressed. We speak with Liniar’s Group Marketing Director Sue Davenport about Liniar’s ethos – finding out whether the coronavirus pandemic has changed the company’s focus or way it helps the community around it.

Before the outbreak

Before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19, Liniar had a culture of doing the right thing. From supporting teammates as they raised money by jumping out of planes or traversing over mountains, or helping to heat a church through the winter, helping the community is part of the culture at Liniar – and something we’re proud of,” comments Sue.

“This community spirit isn’t a rarity in our industry. As a whole, the fenestration industry raises millions of pounds for charity each year, alongside local initiatives working with charities or food banks – but the pandemic created a new level of need for these organisations.

How COVID changed everything

The Government’s lockdown announcement of 23rd of March changed everyone’s lives for the foreseeable future… and for businesses around the country, it meant adapting to what the media dubbed the ‘new normal’. Liniar, like many others in the industry, wanted to remain open as long as it was safe to do so. Its customers needed deliveries to maintain their own businesses – but within only a couple of days, it was plain to see that this just wasn’t possible.

“Part of doing the right thing isn’t simply about donating and helping out in the community, it also means doing the right thing when it comes to your employees – even if that means temporarily closing your doors,” states Sue. “The furlough support offered by the Government made a difficult decision slightly more palatable. After speaking to customers, it was clear a temporary closure was the only way to help keep our employees and customers safe.”

Innovation, volunteers and the way forward

“With many of our workforce’s families affected by the virus through working in front line organisations, the Design & Development team at Liniar began using the company’s 3D printer to design an ergonomic face shield.

The resulting visor could be donated to the NHS front line workers, not-for-profit professionals and care homes who so desperately needed to find scarce PPE. “What began as a small operation, producing 3D face shields 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, turned into the purchase of an injection mould to increase weekly capacity to 3,000 per day – and extended to the wider Liniar team as the project developed.

“Everyone in Liniar wanted to help. Whether it was putting together boxes for the visors to be packed in, counting out acetate sheets, packing boxes or setting up an online ordering process, we had people from every part of the business volunteering to get involved,” explains Sue.

“Whilst we were pleased to start a phased reopening of our facilities with safety and distancing measures in place from 11th May, we know the need for PPE isn’t going to end anytime soon. That’s why Liniar will continue to provide visors free of charge to front line NHS and care staff. With the help of our customers and the general public who pay a nominal fee towards the cost of the visors, it means we can continue to do this for the foreseeable future and whilst they are needed.

It isn’t a profit-making opportunity for Liniar but it’s something we’re very passionate about.”

The Future

No one knows what the future looks like – but whilst times are uncertain, Liniar has seen a fantastic restart to operations and a market full of optimism, both of which bode well. So here’s a question for all business owners: what will the ethos of your business be when you return to ‘normal’ times? If the pandemic has taught us one thing it’s that British spirit can bring us together for the greater good – so how will you ensure you and your company can carry on this positivity?

Sue comments, “Liniar’s ethos has and will continue to be a cornerstone of our business. The sentiment from across the business tells us that people are proud to work here and be a part of what we’re doing… and we have plans to increase our community support even further! ”

For further details about Liniar’s reusable protective visors, please visit www.liniar.co.uk/PPE.