IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Please see this statement from Mike Roman (CEO of 3M, who supply most of our products)
At 3M, our highest priority is the safety of our people and the public. We are responding to the rapidly changing COVID-19 outbreak by providing supplies where they are needed the most, and I am incredibly proud of the work our people are doing to support the public health and government response to the outbreak.
Since the initial outbreak, we have activated rapid response teams that are coordinating our strategies to protect our people and maintain business continuity. It’s important to know that we have plans that will enable us to maintain our operations and continue to serve our customers and other stakeholders who depend on us. We have been able to sustain operations in different circumstances around the world by working differently, maintaining a safe workplace environment, partnering with local experts and governments, and collaborating globally – as we always do.
For our customers
3M remains committed to serving our customers around the world. We have made provisions and action plans to be able to maintain our operations and to serve you. We will also maintain frequent and open communication with you as we move ahead in this dynamic environment.
Our products – including respirators, surgical and procedural masks and hand sanitizers – are being used globally in the response to the outbreak. We expect demand for these products to outpace supply for the foreseeable future.
We are committed to balanced distribution of our products that both supports the public health and governmental response to COVID-19 and ensures product availability to our existing industrial and healthcare customers whose operations rely on our products. Unfortunately, with the evolving situation, more of our production capacity must now be dedicated to supplying healthcare and government/emergency response.
We have notified our authorized distributors that we are prioritizing orders to help serve our base business – including hospitals – due to high global demand. Our business teams will work diligently to communicate with you about any potential disruptions. We are closely monitoring and responding to any potential impact to our broader supply chain and customers.
3M’s broader supply chain
Since the initial outbreak we have been actively working with our supplier base globally to understand how COVID-19 will affect their ability to serve 3M. This includes working proactively with suppliers on near and long-term continuity of supplies.
We are encouraging governments around the world to work together to ensure that supply chains can operate efficiently and effectively so that critical products are able to reach areas where they are most needed.
Fortunately, our manufacturing and supply network was established to serve customers in all markets, and our ability to respond locally is strong. We continue to manufacture personal protective equipment in multiple locations, including the United States. Our regionally distributed manufacturing approach allows us to better serve customers in all geographies, and we are leveraging this agility to serve the market demands during this time.
Preparedness and business continuity
Our preparedness plans are designed to help protect the safety of our employees around the world while safely continuing business operations, including restricting international travel that is not deemed business critical and supplying employees with information on precautionary steps they can take to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus – as well as the actions they should take if they become ill. We continue to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and to evaluate the risk of any travel to regions where the infection is prevalent.
As we face this crisis together, we will remain focused on the well-being of our employees, our customers and the public. We will continue to be guided by our legacy of science and applying the expertise of our people to confront the challenges facing the world, including the coronavirus.
Michael F. Roman
3M Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer