January 2021 Manufacturing Update

Dear Valued Customers,

January 21, 2020 marked the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the US in our home state of Washington not far from our plant on Vashon Island. One year along and we, like many of you, have experienced unparalleled change in the face of a deadly pandemic and the chaos and unrest of our nation in pain. As we continue to navigate our way through, I believe we will come out of this with greater strength and sense of purpose both as a company and a community.

We have remained operational during this entire time. We could not have done this without the amazing, committed employees we have working for us. As Employee Owners, their desire to do their best work and deliver is unmatched. Our commitment to our employees is in providing a safe and healthy workplace above all else. For months now, we have strategized around quarantines, families in crisis, childcare issues, remote schooling, and the collective impacts for our staff. Their safety, for themselves, their family, and community are our number one concern. Without this level of vigilance, we would have suffered losses and closures during COVID19. Unfortunately, the pandemic has impacted our ability to meet lead times for various reasons. Everyone who works here feels the effect of this, as we are a conscientious crew. We recognize these delays have been frustrating. Know that we are committed to doing the best work we are able, given the constraints of the day, and will continue to do so.

Our products are hand crafted with care by our plant employees. In all, we have one hundred and seventy employees working at our plant on Vashon; over one hundred of those are production staff who come to the plant every day, confronting the risk of illness, to build our products. I am proud to say that to date, the safety protocols we have put in place have kept all our employees safe, and we have not had a COVID-19 outbreak at the plant which is exemplary.

We acknowledge that the service we have been able to provide these past several months is not at the same level as pre-pandemic. While we have ramped back up our production from its low point in the spring and summer, it has taken additional time to on-board, we have new capacity limits with social distancing, and training new employees with the current safety protocols is challenging. That said, we are making good progress and anticipate our output to increase in the coming weeks.

Our company has been manufacturing products for over forty-five years. We have always prided ourselves on treating our greatest asset, our people, with empathy, care, and compassion. This has allowed us to build a strong company of engaged employees that can weather even some of the toughest storms. We have prided ourselves equally on excellent customer service. During the past several months, as we have grappled with longer lead times, we have worked hard to hold space and compassion for the limitations of a human system. We are looking forward to brighter times ahead. We appreciate your continued patience and trust. The critical mission of delivering exceptional quality products to our customers drives us forward each day. Rest assured, our highly capable workforce and company will be stronger for the obstacles that we have respectfully confronted during the COVID19 crisis.

Thank you for your business and your continued loyalty in our Sawbones brand. We appreciate your support, patience and understanding as we navigate the weeks and months ahead.

Sincerely,

Norine Martinsen