The COVID-19 pandemic continues to consume news headlines and alter the daily lives of people around the world. As we all grapple with staying healthy (as I hope everyone reading this is) and navigating the changes to our normal work and social environments, we all have personal and societal stakes in doing our part to help end this pandemic.
Like so many other businesses, Disc Makers has felt the effects of the Coronavirus. Business is down, as you might expect, and while we were doing everything we could to stay open and keep our family of employees safe and working, we were at the point where we were cutting hours and taking pay reductions to try to keep everyone employed.
It’s hard to believe, but after almost 74 years in the volatile music industry, this virus is the biggest threat this company has ever faced. Then, a week ago, while watching the news and hearing of the desperate shortage of protective equipment for front-line health workers, my wife turned to me and asked, “Tony, can’t you guys manufacture some of this?”
That question put a chain of events in motion.
Two days later, our amazing team of manufacturing engineers and operations pros had come up with a prototype for a protective face shield. We ordered supplies, worked through the weekend to finalize the specs, set up workstations on Monday, and started manufacturing the next day! The factory staff who print your inserts, replicate discs, and package your products — as well as office staff from every department — are now soldiers in the battle to literally save lives.
And now, instead of worrying how we’re going to survive on diminished CD volume, I’m worrying if we have enough staff to fill the demand for these face shields. Every single person at Disc Makers is invested in helping in this fight and I’m so impressed with how our team turned on a dime, made this happen in a matter of days, and enthusiastically jumped in to help battle this global crisis.
We’re not out of the woods yet. There’s more social distancing, more quarantining, and more medical emergencies ahead. But it’s heartening to see so many companies rushing to help defeat this crisis — and I am so proud that Disc Makers is among them.
If you or your loved ones work in the medical, emergency, janitorial, food service, or any field helping others get through this crisis, thank you! We’re working as fast as we can to help protect you and are pricing our face shields on narrow margins to make them affordable.
We are doing all we can to maintain a safe, clean environment at Disc Makers, and our factory is still open and producing CDs, vinyl, and t-shirts. While your need for these items may be lower than normal at the moment, rest assured that, when you need product, we’re here for you.
Tony van Veen is the CEO of DIY Media Group, the parent company of Disc Makers, Merchly, and BookBaby. As a college student, he played in indie bands, created his own LPs, cassettes, and t-shirts, and sold them at shows. Today, he collects CDs, vinyl LPs, and concert t-shirts to support the artists he loves.
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