Staying Strong in Crazy Times
As Receiving Coordinator at GF Machining Solutions in Woodridge, IL (US), Santos Zamora helped keep the warehouse operations running during the lockdown – a critical contribution to the company’s cash flow. The trying times made this family man realize what is most valuable in life.
When coronavirus hit the state of Illinois in March 2020, Santos Zamora from Chicago, IL (US), wanted to help. He lives with his family in Gage Park, a vibrant community on the southwest side of Chicago, where he grew up. The population is tight-knit and diverse and neighbors know each other. “Everybody looks out for each other,” says Santos. Even though Illinois went into lockdown on 21 March, he kept on volunteering at his church community, just like he did before. “We organized a food drive and delivered groceries curbside,” he recalls. On weekends, he supplied food and household items to neighbors in need, such as older residents and people who had lost their job or shelter. The church also tried to assist parishioners who were having difficulties paying their bills. For many workers, unemployment in the US means the loss of health insurance. Buying insurance out of pocket can be expensive, especially if an entire family needs to be covered. “It’s a great charity and helps out many people,” affirms Santos.
Santos Zamora has worked at GF Machining Solutions in Woodridge near Chicago, IL (US) since February 2020. Together with his colleagues, the Receiving Coordinator kept the warehouse up and running during the lockdown.
© Jamie Kelter Davis
Reliable team spirit and morale
Looking out for each other is equally important to Santos at work. He joined GF Machining Solutions as Receiving Coordinator in February 2020, after temping with the company since December 2019. The position was an instant fit. He enjoys the team spirit and morale, and felt at home right away. “The people here are amazing.” His previous job barely left any room for the family, but GF Machining Solutions is different. “They are understanding and family-oriented,” says Santos.
Seven weeks after Santos started his new job, Illinois issued a shelter-in-place order. Within days, Chicago turned into a ghost town, and its residents began stocking up on food. “These were scary times.” Once the infection numbers began to rise, the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis became increasingly apparent. Being the newest employee, he worried about job security, but felt encouraged by the management’s transparency and daily updates. While most employees worked remotely, Santos and his warehouse team members came in every day. He admired how promptly the company took precautions by ordering personal protective equipment. “Our management stayed in contact, kept us in the loop, made sure everyone followed procedures.” The team had to handle different protocols that included temperature checks, wearing masks and gloves, and keeping a two-meter distance between each other. Despite the challenges, Santos and his team still managed to get 99% of the daily shipments out.
Mark Sanhamel is Director of Operations at GF Machining Solutions in Woodridge, IL (US), the North American hub of the Division for sales and service. If the team had gotten sick, the company wouldn’t have been able to ship out materials, such as spare parts and consumables. Mark highlights the impact: “It would have been disastrous for us in the US in terms of cash flow. It could have meant more people losing their jobs, pay cuts, and benefit losses.” Santos is convinced that the crisis made them an even stronger team, because the employees who worked remotely helped him and reached out via email and video chat, every step of the way. “You learn to appreciate your coworkers even more. They were always there for me, 100% of the time”, says Santos. Having overcome this adversity, he is confident that the company will be better prepared should another pandemic happen in the future. In his own future, he sees himself going back to school for business management: “I would like to have my own business here in Chicago, or if given the opportunity, to become a manager here at GF Machining Solutions.”
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
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© Jamie Kelter Davis
“My family is my number one”
At home, his two boys required homeschooling, and staying inside during the lockdown proved a challenge: the family is outdoorsy, enjoys the beach, camping, and traveling to nearby Wisconsin.
Put into perspective, it seemed a small price to pay. Friends lost relatives and loved ones to the pandemic. The times may still be uncertain, but Santos is convinced that some good came of it. The willingness to look out for each other created something more significant: “I appreciate life a lot more than I did before.” His devotion to family remains unchanged. It was during the lockdown that he proposed to his partner, whom he already happily calls his wife. “And she said yes!” And there’s more good news: a baby is on its way. “My family is my number one. Materialistic things are replaceable; your family isn’t.”
New Orders Ahead: GF Machining Solutions in the US
After a successful financial year in 2019 with die-sinking EDM technologies, Milling, and Additive Manufacturing, as well as Customer Services, GF Machining Solutions US had a rather slow start to 2020, because many customers had placed their orders already at the end of 2019. But things started to pick up again in February and March 2020 and the number of orders rose, making it potentially feasible to achieve the budgeted targets originally set for 2020.
As the COVID-19 virus spread throughout the US, several states started to shut down public life from mid-March, which severely limited the business activities of commercial enterprises. With around 200 employees, GF Machining Solutions US also had to completely close its sites in Irvine, CA, and Holliston, MA. The sites at Huntersville, NC, Lincolnshire, IL, and Woodridge, IL, were only working with emergency staff.
Sales employees, application engineers, and service technicians were no longer able to travel to meet customers, and important projects such as machine acceptances or trade shows had to be put on hold. There was huge uncertainty among employees, as there were not many ways for a sales and service organization to react to this difficult crisis. Measures such as spending and travel freezes, as well as paid leave, were put in place. Fortunately, the US company was considered a key industry, meaning that despite the lockdown it could generate some orders in the areas of aerospace, medtech, and ICT.
Colleagues in the US have also intensified their use of digital tools over recent months, and communicated via Microsoft Teams or Skype – with each other as well as with external partners and customers. It has even been possible to perform machine approvals digitally. Despite all the adversity they have faced, the managers at GF Machining Solutions US seem confident about the future. The outlook for the industry is generally positive. The sales company has identified opportunities, especially in the medtech but also in the aerospace industry, to enable it to return within the next twelve months to the good level that was set in 2019. This estimate is based on exchanges with customers and industry experts as well as with regard to a vaccine for COVID-19.