Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 M A R C H 2 2 , 2 0 2 1 Whether it was trying to hire people or build a plant or get equipment or deal with a government contract in a pandemic and it kind of all just blurred together. Occasionally I'll talk to a friend and they'll stop me halfway through say- ing something and say 'You hired 750 people in less than a year?' And I said 'Yeah, that's what we needed to do.' And we built a factory in two months and got it open and we're building another one and more than doubling our size — it seems to be just what we've had to do and we haven't really had time to stop and think about what it takes to get there and it's not one person and it's not 10 people, it's been a huge team effort. MB: Were there any things you'd like to do over and do differently from the past year? SW: ere were definitely some bumps in the road but I don't think there were things we could have done entirely differently. Our whole model of the past was we built our own machinery, we developed our own machinery, we supported ourselves because that's how we've been able to grow by using our own knowledge. e need was so high that we had to very quickly change how we worked on things and trust key vendors to work with us. We had to learn fast. e team did a great job accepting that we were going to have to do things differently and work differently and communicate differently. at's what we did. For about the first four months of the pandemic, we had a group of about 10 people rotating in and out, every morning at 8 a.m. we took an hour and made sure everyone knew what was going on and that if we needed to make a decision, we were making decisions in those meetings. We weren't taking weeks to decide on something, we weren't even taking days. It was defi- nitely a different way of doing things for us, but it worked. MB: Was there anything that you learned from your workers or les- sons that they taught you? SW: I learned that the people we have working for us are probably some of the most dedicated people and hard- est working people that I've worked with. We had to decrease the number of work days because people were so focused on trying to have a positive impact on the country and they were working 70 hour weeks, every single week, signing up for every shift of overtime we had. It was amazing to see it wasn't purely about the financial impact to them. We were paying dou- ble time for overtime and we still are during the pandemic to make sure we reward people for helping the country and helping the company. But they just wanted to do what was right. We had the first factory to get up and running in two months. We have the second factory up and running by the end of [March]. And we're work- ing on a new project to bring a third new factory, which will be outside of New England, and create another 800 jobs and grow the testing capacity in the country because it's not just about COVID testing anymore. e whole marketplace has changed and to travel, you need this test and that test, and schools want to have tests available, whether it's for COVID now or flu in the future, and those of us who have kids, we want to be able to test whether our kids are sick at home and that's really where the future is. Everyone is going to be able to do these tests at home, without a doctor, without a prescription, in the near future. MB: Your fourth factory — the third new factory since the pandemic — how will that be funded? SW: It's government funded. We're working with multiple different states to see where the best location, the best C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Maine's credit unions are here for you. mainecreditunions.org Moving you and your money forward. Maine credit unions are all about you, not profits. Building long-lasting personal and business relationships that focus on your unique needs. Get better rates, lower fees, and the products and services you need to make your money work for you. Together, we can help you and your business get ahead faster. I learned that the people we have working for us are probably some of the most dedicated people and hardest working people that I've worked with.

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