As part of efforts to slow and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recently ordered all non-essential / non-lifesustaining businesses to close and stop operation, starting last night March 19 2020. I had expected this as an inevitable extension of the preceding actions taken by local, regional, and national authorities.
Due to this order Bill Howard, President of Great Eastern Cutlery, posted the below message on their website today. It speaks for itself and is, in my opinion, a very well written and thought out response to such an unprecedented situation.
We can’t know the long term impact of the virus and the actions taken to contain it, but there’s no doubt it will negatively affect small businesses like GEC. Working in a family run small business myself, I know how difficult and uncertain times like these can be, and I’m sure all of you feel the strain of these strange times also.
Hopefully soon the virus will be quelled, business will resume, and GEC will get back to making the best production traditional knives on the market. I wish Bill, William, Joan Mae, and everyone at Great Eastern Cutlery all the best!
