Cornwall Glass chairman, Mark Mitchell, has commented on the Cornwall Group’s response to the Covid-19 crisis and its plans for recovery in a video interview (see below).
On 25 March, the group furloughed 270 colleagues over 11 branches. It reportedly took less than 48 hours to wind down operations at all 11 sites, which according to Mark, was not an easy task, as plant machinery had to be safely decommissioned. Security the various sites, together with vehicles and stock, was all part of the process, as well as communicating the company’s position to suppliers.
According to Mark, the furlough scheme has been a huge safety net for most employers, including the Cornwall Group, which has done everything it can to keep its team together.
Mark added that retaining skills is absolutely vital to the survival of the business and made a point of saying how essential it was for Cornwall Group to come back as a united team as soon as possible.
With regards to when Cornwall Group is considering switching the business back on, Mark said that a return to work would most likely commence in the coming weeks, but that it would be a phased process over the course of two to three months. He concluded that any return to work would almost certainly start with the Group’s Plymouth factory, a facility that has seen millions of pounds of investment and one which is capable of producing a wide range of product.
