Stahl COVID-19 update

The impact of lockdowns and travel restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic are still having a material impact on society and business activity. In particular, transport and logistics bottlenecks in the supply chain have created a shortage in normally readily available chemical raw materials, and international commercial travel for our employees has been strictly limited. 

Stahl’s first priority is to ensure the health and safety of our employees. We continue to adhere to guidance from national and international health authorities with respect to preventing the spread of the virus in our factories, offices and laboratory. We are also committed to the continued supply of products and services during the pandemic, even if this service may temporarily be interrupted. To date we have been able to continue to deliver orders without major disruptions. We are managing the situation on a daily basis, guided by our global COVID-19 crisis team.

Stahl has taken measures to prevent unnecessary direct contact with visitors, business partners and between colleagues. Some employees are working from home while many are working in Stahl locations. For our commercial staff, we have introduced clear instructions on how to travel safely and visit customers as needed, whilst ensuring the strict compliance with government regulations. The same applies to visitors at Stahl sites. 

Stahl has also established an operational platform with the goal of avoiding interruptions in service. Specifically:

• For road transport, processes and precautionary measures are in place to safely load and unload the trucks.
• Containers and transports have been pre-ordered to mitigate the effect of the current imbalance of international vessel and container allocation. So far we have been able to meet demand, albeit with delays.
• Sites, offices and laboratories are running normally within the constraints of local rules and guidance. All Stahl sites are operational. In the event that social distancing rules in the office cannot be guaranteed, employees rotate between on-site and remote locations.
• Some materials can be produced at more than one site - this is managed on a case-by-case basis.
• Raw material supplies are tight and being secured continuously by our procurement and planning teams.
• The current supply situation may lead to longer lead times than normal but Stahl remains committed to delivering orders as promised.
• We are keeping our customers informed about deliveries on a daily basis, via our Customer Service and sales teams.

Stahl has contingency plans in place in the event that, for example, extended lockdown measures or site shutdowns were introduced. These contingency plans include,

• The relocation of manufacturing to other sites,
• Securing an adequate inventory of chemicals at our factories or warehouses,
• Replenishing inventory in the event that transportation were restricted, i.e.: to be ready for supply as soon as restrictions were lifted,
• Planning for the restart of operations as soon as possible.

In summary, Stahl is still delivering its products and services, if with some delays. 

The strength of Stahl is its service-driven business model. Though in many countries we are still not able to meet you in person, we have enabled our sales and technical service staff to service you remotely. Your commercial contacts and customer service teams are available to help you with any queries or questions. Stahl is working together as a team to manage the situation, day by day, inspired by our motto “If it can be imagined it can be created”.