'Essential' factories remain open

SANDUSKY — As millions of Ohioans follow the stay-at-home order meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, factory workers across the region report for work as usual. Gov. Mike DeWine's stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19, a new strain of coronavirus causing a pandemic, started today. Several people contacted the Register concerned with why the local factory they worked at wasn't closing like Ventra did. DeWine's order exempted businesses deemed essential to maintaining critical infrastructure and daily operations, including medical, food and transportation. "We have tool and die shops and factories that make medical equipment and other essential products," said Pete Schade, the Erie County health commissioner. "They have to stay open because they're essential to the supply chain." Staying open O.E. Meyer Co., headquartered on Tiffin Avenue in Margaretta Township, is just such a business considered essential due to the vital services it provides to the medical, manufacturing, heating and defense industries. "The qualifications for being an essential business touches the whole gamut of our facilities," CEO and president Craig Wood said. "We have patients who need oxygen and homes that need to be heated." O.E. Meyer also supplies thousands of homes across Ohio with propane needed for heating. Wood said the company hasn't let a customer down in 100 years, and it doesn't plan to start now. The Whirlpool factory in Clyde, one of the largest employers in the area, is another business deemed critical. "We support Gov. DeWine's actions to try and curb the spread of the virus, and we support the confirmation that Whirlpool Corporation and the home appliances our people make are essential," company spokesman Chad Parks said. "This designation will enable our company to continue producing appliances to serve our consumers during this difficult time." DeWine's order outlined Whirlpool and other household appliance manufacturers as necessary to maintaining essential industries and operations. "We have a commitment to consumers across the U.S. who need our appliances to take care of their families," Parks said. "They depend on our products more than ever so they can clean, cook and provide proper food and medicine storage in their homes." Freudenberg-NOK in Milan is another factory deemed necessary by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since the transmission repair kits it manufactures are vital for the transportation industry, according to a mass text sent to employees. The Register received a copy of the text from an employee who wished to remain anonymous. "At this time, the Milan plant is open," company spokeswoman Cheryl Eberwein confirmed. "But this situation is very dynamic, and we continue to evaluate it in light of the governor's recent order. We continue to follow a series of rigorous safety protocols in Milan, as in Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' facilities throughout the world, to help disrupt the spread of the coronavirus." Other factories confirmed to be remaining open during the stay-at-home order include JBT, U.S. Tsubaki and Peerless Ovens. Precautions in place To protect the health and safety of their employees during the pandemic, businesses that remain open are required to follow recommendations set by health officials, including heightened cleaning protocols, implementing social distancing, employee temperature screenings and promoting guidelines for personal hygiene. "We have a lot of anecdotal stories about companies that are doing a good job," Schade said. "Everybody is doing a good job so far." O.E. Meyer has been able to follow these protocols since the ample square footage of their facilities makes it easy to ensure employees follow the 6 feet of personal space, Wood said. Whirlpool also believes it's following the recommendations of health officials to a tee. "The health and safety of our employees, their families and the communities where we do business are first priority," Parks said. "We have teams in place at local, regional and global levels continually staying on top of ongoing developments with COVID-19." Eberwein said Freuedenbrerg-NOK followed the emergency health and safety measures targeted by federal, state and local agencies to disrupt the spread of coronavirus. "Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is following the recommendations of all of these agencies and has also established its own health and safety facility protocols to help protect its employees, customers and communities," Eberwein said. "The situation is very fluid. We cannot provide more information at this time." Employees, however, have raised concerns about Freudenberg-NOK following the protocols. Employees claim they risk bringing COVID-19 home to their families and the lack of social distancing puts elderly workers at risk. "We have over 300 people in this building, and on the assembly lines. It is impossible for social distancing," the employee said. The spouse of another employee alleged the factory used a laser thermometer, not meant for use on humans, to check employee's temperatures, which gave inaccurate readings, like 75 degrees.