In late April, Doug Thomas, Bellingham Cold Storage’s CEO, was presented with two signs inked up by dozens of employees from the BCS campuses on Orchard Drive and the Bellingham waterfront.
The signs were full of handwritten notes of appreciation from BCS team members for the work done by the administration to keep the company and its employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are sincerely humbled,” Thomas wrote in a subsequent email to all employees.
“Our entire leadership team and key employees in the office – and in particular the HR, sanitation, janitorial, engineering and maintenance departments – have been incredible, working tirelessly to stay in compliance, ahead of the curve and in many instances implementing measures that go well beyond the basic CDC recommendations,” Thomas told BCS employees. “The real heroes are our front line cold chain warriors who interact daily with dozens of truckers, customers, regulatory agents, vendors/suppliers and each other while performing safely the critical food supply needs of the community and nationwide grocery store replenishment effort.”
In March, Thomas notified employees of the many efforts the company was undertaking to keep people safe while BCS, an essential part of the cold food chain, kept operating. Among those measures were the use of ozone for sanitizing workspaces and the provision of face masks for people working in close proximity with each other.
“It’s so nice to get an indication that what we have been doing and implementing is both working and appreciated,” Thomas said.
One of the quotes from an employee at the waterfront plant summed up the thoughts of many: “Thank you for all that you do, all that you care, all that is considered when it is needed the most. The strong support and team efforts will be what makes us succeed and grow towards a better tomorrow.”