HomeBlogKentucky Trailer's COVID-19 Response KENTUCKY TRAILER'S COVID-19 RESPONSE 5-4-2020 | GARY SMITH At Kentucky Trailer we have core values that include a commitment to our Servant Leader company values and being extremely focused on Safety First and Always that places associate safety as the first priority of our daily operations. During the past weeks, Kentucky Trailer and our divisions around the globe have been closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and implementing business continuity plans to ensure that our associates stay safe while remaining committed to servicing the needs of our customers, vendors, and business partners. We continue to adapt our operations as orders and directives from our state and national leaders evolve. The pandemic has affected our families, our communities and our way of life. Below is an update on how we are approaching these changing times. At Kentucky Trailer What We Make Matters® and we have witnessed this through our unique position in the markets we serve. We have heard from our customers how valuable our trailers and specialty vehicles are for transporting necessary goods to communities, for mobile medical CT Scanners used in the diagnosis of COVID-19, for the containment and testing provided by our mobile laboratories, and for the nourishment of the world’s food supply with our animal feed transportation vehicles. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and our core value of Safety First we knew the way our associates interacted with their workspaces would need to change and would continue to change as additional directives were released. In our offices and in our manufacturing plant settings we have visual spacing lines to promote distancing especially where we previously gathered like offices, meeting rooms, break areas, lockers, etc. In our workplaces, we have eliminated non-essential travel including all commercial travel, encouraged remote work for our office associates and changed shifts to reduce the number of associates in the plant at the same time. Plus, the use of digital signage boards and text messaging for critical time-sensitive information have been very useful in communicating with all associates when large group meetings would not adhere to social distancing guidelines. As a manufacturer in multiple critical infrastructure industries, trailer and specialty manufacturing cannot be done from our homes. We implemented a series of preventative health measures for employees and contractors including temperature scans, increased frequency of cleaning and regular sanitizing of tools and high-traffic surfaces and continually evaluating additional ways to improve on these measures. As a safety-focused manufacturer we used abbreviations like PPE (personal protective equipment) in our workspaces but never imagined discussing PPE with our friends and families outside of work. We have had PPE protocols in our divisions for many years including ear plugs for noise reduction, safety glasses, toe/foot protection and cut-proof gloves and now we are adding face masks as they become available. In conclusion, we are inspired by all of the essential workers, the healthcare professionals and anyone who has been impacted by this virus. Kentucky Trailer and our divisions play a critical role in the manufacturing and servicing of multiple critical infrastructure industries. We will continue to support our customers whose products are being urgently deployed in both the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and in support of community, national resilience and well-being. Two of our customers have highlighted how our trailers are being used during this time, click to view the press release from United Imaging and here for the press release from GermFree. These articles represent how the work that we are doing is most critical and What We Make Matters®. HOT TOPICS! SHARE TWEET SHARE GARY SMITH Gary Smith Sr. is a 1983 graduate from the University of Kentucky where he received a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in accounting and economics. After graduation, he worked with two international accounting firms and earned the Certified Public Accountant designation in 1985. Gary joined Kentucky Trailer as Chairman of the Board in August of 2006 after working with a small group of the R.C. Tway Company’s fourth generation owners to arrange a transaction that resulted in a recapitalization of the Company and redemption of the third generation majority owners of the company. He joined the company as President and CEO in April of 2007. Subsequently, in 2013 Gary led the Company through a transaction that resulted in Kentucky Trailer becoming a majority owned operating subsidiary of Alleghany Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alleghany Corporation. Prior to Kentucky Trailer, Gary enjoyed a career as a successful entrepreneur and proven leader, having founded, managed and led companies where he was instrumental in growing and leading management teams to develop their businesses into successful enterprises. Gary's experience in public accounting, management experience with public and private enterprises and his sense of stewardship and passion for the R.C. Tway Company’s heritage and legacy have come together to provide strategic thinking and leadership that today allows Kentucky Trailer to continue its long history of success. VIEW MORE BLOGS FROM GARY SMITH < PREVIOUS BACK TO BLOG NEXT > BE THE FIRST TO HEAR ABOUT NEWS, EVENTS AND OTHER UPDATES. SIGN UP © 2021 Kentucky Trailer California Privacy Policy Site Info Site Map Login YouTube Facebook OOHnado_blizzard Created with Sketch.