Page 37 - Green Builder May-June 2020 Issue

“A Fair Amount of Bounce-Back”

Qianyan Cheng, protection once applied to with market demand, especially in the affluent
Co-Founder/Vice any commercial or residential market.
hardware.
President of Product GB: How do you think the coronavirus will
GB: How impacted do you change the homebuilding sector in the long
Development, INOX,
think your company will be term (61+ days)?
Sacramento, CA if the coronavirus leads to a QC: With millions working from home, we
GB: How is the coronavirus recession? anticipate the door and hardware industry will
affecting your company? QC: Although we anticipate see an increased demand for pocket doors or
QC: The modern-day supply that the hospitality industry sliding doors to section off areas of the home
chain makes it hard to keep will be slow to recover, INOX and create more private office space.
such an impact to only certain is also seeing new business GB: How do you think coronavirus will
businesses, so coronavirus opportunities in healthcare impact consumer behavior in the short term
has affected INOX as well as our customers and other institutional construction projects. (30-60 days)?
and vendors primarily through loss of sales Hospitals, healthcare facilities and schools are QC: Right now, consumer purchases are trending
revenue. Fortunately, INOX was able to remain accelerating construction projects to renovate heavily towards products that will create a
fully operational as an essential manufacturing facilities and incorporate more sanitation and healthy home environment, so door hardware
business. We quickly implemented new product safety measures. with antimicrobial protection or touchless
offerings and marketing campaigns in order to
meet new market demands and create new
business opportunities.
GB: Did you expect this type of impact?
QC: We knew the impact would be inevitable
and serious, which pushed us to act quickly.
We stayed informed about what was happening
overseas, discussed changes to our daily
operations and planned new product strategies
early on which set us up to be more successful.
GB: What is your company doing to address CREDIT: COURTESY OF INOX
the challenges caused by COVID-19?
QC: INOX implemented several measures
to ensure employees’ safety. We sourced Higher priority. In response to COVID-19, INOX developed MicroArmor, an antimicrobial powder that
masks and gloves for our production and provides constant surface decontamination compared to less-reliable, periodic cleaning products.
warehouse employees, and supplied webcams
and headsets for our office staff in order GB: What are your customers doing controls are more attractive than before.
for them to successfully work from home. differently? GB: How do you think coronavirus will
Company leadership held daily meetings with QC: Our retail customers are shifting their focus impact consumer behavior in the long term
each individual employee to check on their to establish a strong online presence, including (61+ days)?
health and provide support, and our customer updating their online stores and increasing social QC: Research is showing that consumers will
service team executed a “smile and dial” with media posting and engagement. Our clients in continue to prioritize products that increase
our customers. We have donated medical new construction as well as OEM have seen a health and wellness and will incorporate these
masks to distributors and clients who live in large shift from using traditional swing doors to into their daily routine well into the future, so
critical areas and may be in need of additional more space-efficient sliding doors, especially in research and development, and innovation, will
protection. the healthcare industry. need to shift to meet this demand. It will also
We also quickly shifted our research and GB: How do you think the coronavirus will be important for manufacturers to maintain
development focus to products that can change the homebuilding sector in the a strong online presence, as there may be a
help lessen the spread of harmful bacteria to short term (30-60 days)? lasting effect of the tremendous growth in
make them immediately available to hospitals QC: Overall, we estimate that shelter-in- online purchasing and spending.
and healthcare facilities. We developed INOX place orders may negatively impact current
MicroArmor™, a powder coating infused with homebuilding and home renovations, but there
antimicrobial technology that offers 24/7 should still be a fair amount of bounce back

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