MUKILTEO, Wash. — Amid tough economic news, a small Mukilteo company is suddenly thriving because of the coronavirus.
>>Mukilteo company creates portable handwashing station
If the warehouse of UMC Inc. is a bit noisy, a bit busy, and a bit hectic, it means Nathan Harmon has job security.
“We’ve been running for two, three weeks straight,” he remarked. “We’ve expanded our crew (and), started a night shift.”
A month after KIRO 7 News told you how UMC was suddenly was building portable sanitizing stations, hundreds of them have now been ordered and shipped out.
The latest batch went all the way to New York City. Products have also been shipped to Iowa and throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“We’re just banging them out as fast as we can, with the best quality as we can,” Harmon said.
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“In the last month, we’ve gone from concept to delivery to customers, so it’s a nimble, quick business switch,” said Steve Brooks, UMC’s vice president.
It’s a “switch” that has allowed the company also to switch up its fortunes.
Sales of the portable sanitizing stations have been so good that the company even brought back dozens of furloughed workers.
“I was responsible for laying off most of my crew, and the Friday before (the introduction of the sanitation stations), we were going to be going home ourselves,” Harmon said.
Each sanitizing station is entirely hands free and includes soap and towel dispensers and a sink—critical technology in apandemic.
“It’s helping people — helping people get back to work, which is awesome,” Harmon said.
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