Nothing in recent memory compares to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Massive geopolitical forces beyond our control have disrupted our daily lives from individual routines to supply chain dynamics.
Fear and emotional fatigue suffuse our lives as we worry about our families, our personal safety and our financial security. Add to this a persistent dread about damage to the world’s economy and you have a potentially paralyzing mix that strips people of all certainty.
Early into COVID-19 emergency declarations, our member companies have worked and continue to work keeping our retail customers’ shelves stocked and Ohioans’ pantries filled.
This has not been easy. Yet Ohio’s nonalcoholic beverage industry continues to make, deliver, and replenish bottled water, isotonics and other favorite beverages. Members continue to find better ways to do their jobs amid deeply challenging circumstances.
Along the way, everyone has played their part with a stubborn optimism that their dedicated actions, large and small, can light the way in a world that has been dramatically altered.
These actions, large and small, range from scrupulous employee safety measures and support to community donations for exhausted healthcare workers, police and fire and local foodbanks.
The big changes will demand months and years of analysis to fully understand. Supply chain vulnerabilities will be addressed. Better way solutions will be found.
But right now, every day in every corner of Ohio, our members draw on grit and creativity. They carry on caring for their employees and communities. I am thankful for their efforts. I am thankful for the extraordinary efforts of Ohio’s healthcare workers, first responders and business owners stubbornly pushing through the darkness with deep determination.