June 23, 2020

Leonardo Electronics US | State of Operations

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a complicated issue for nearly every organization. Regardless of industry, size, or location, everyone has had to work quickly and diligently to protect their employees and customers during this time. There is simply no game plan for operating through a worldwide shut down. For the laser solutions facility of Leonardo Electronics US, the effect has been no different. 

During the April virtual conference, our VP of Sales and Marketing, Robert Walker, and our VP, Mark McElhinney, held an open forum on the state of our operations through the COVID-19 pandemic. They discussed the various response plans that were developed and how we remained focused on the care and safety of our teams as well as continuing to provide high customer service.

What initial actions did the Leonardo team take?

Employee safety is our primary concern. We implemented many changes to operations and physical locations to uphold our high safety standards while continuing operations both in and out of our facilities.

  • On-site changes. Procedures and aspects of the physical office spaces have been altered to reduce the number of contact points for employees such as:
    • Removing internal doors
    • Converting conference rooms into temporary individual offices
    • Reduced seating and spaced out tables in public areas
    • Automatic faucets and towel dispensers
    • New outdoor break areas
  • Anticipating supply chain obstacles. With many of the businesses that we rely on having supply chain issues, we lined up second sources to head off any major impacts. Our swift reaction has allowed us to remain operational and continue innovating and fulfilling orders for our customers. Regardless of the circumstances, our team continues to work hard to bring advancements in customizable laser diode sources and laser system product lines.

What are the ongoing actions of Leonardo?

  • Continuing internal communication. We are committed to communicating to all employees through one-on-one check-ins and mass updates via video and knowledge center posts.
  • Employee events and virtual activities. We have always thrived on the success of one another and did not want to change that. We'll continue to provide as close to a normal culture as we possibly can, so everyone can work in an environment surrounded by ambitious and motivated coworkers. Utilizing our communication channels, we have implemented daily jokes with each company update, checked in with employees regularly and shifted our typical wellness activities to virtual ones, like:
    • Wellness activity tracking BINGO
    • Interesting recipes submitted by our team members
    • Virtual Cinco de Mayo celebrations

What is Leonardo planning on doing in the future?

  • New hires. Being deemed essential has helped us continue onboarding our recent hires and recruiting new hires through these times. If you are interested in joining our innovative and dedicated team, see our open positions here.
  • Managing customer relationships. Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do. Although many trade shows have been cancelled, virtual events have been set up to replace much of the customer interaction. Sales activity has shifted slightly but customers are still being supported at the same level as before.

Before this crisis, and especially through this crisis, the safety of our team and the quality of care we provide our customers has been our top priority. Our response plan is not static; it will continue to evolve as the situation develops. We look forward to a time where our excellent in-person and collaborative work environment can be a reality; for now we will continue to serve our customers, solve problems, and innovate from the safety of our homes or isolated on-site workstations. If you have questions about how we are serving our customers or the capabilities of our team, contact us here.

See the full conversation in the recorded webinar below: