An Open Letter to Governmental Officials Worldwide

There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our colleagues, customers and communities. As a family company, we understand that the interconnectedness of our lives means that the actions we take within our business have an impact on countless others.

We share your concerns about the spread of COVID-19 globally. We are committed to doing our part to reduce COVID-19’s impact as quickly as possible, while maintaining our supply and service to our world’s livestock and crop producers.

Our business spans more than 120 countries, so we first began monitoring COVID when it emerged in China. In spite of the many challenges, our team in China has continued serving our customers, and we have been able to maintain production and continuity of supply due to the strict biosecurity controls that we had already established prior to COVID-19.

As COVID-19 expanded its reach, we responded by establishing a dedicated COVID-19 task force representing all regions of the world. Together, with a team of senior management, we review the latest information, including the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on a daily basis to adapt our approach to this dynamic and evolving situation.

A few of the specific actions we have taken to prioritize the safety of our team and the continuity of our service to our customers include:

1. COVID-19 company policy – Our policy addresses limitations on the travel of our team, including contractors and consultants, as well as other required practices to safeguard all of our sites. This is something we are reviewing daily and continually updating to ensure best practice.
2. Visitor screening form – A visitor screening form must be completed by any guest, including internal guests and truck drivers, before they are able to enter any of our facilities. This measure is a first line of defense to safeguard against any known risks.
3. Limitation of outside visitors – While we are maintaining some business-critical meetings, we are utilizing virtual meeting platforms as an alternative or are postponing visits to a future date. We are not allowing tours or visits to our facilities that are not deemed to be business-critical at this time. Truck drivers making deliveries or pickups are asked to stay within their cabs or as close to their trucks as possible, and any entry to our facilities must be approved following completion of the visitor screening form.
4. Enhanced cleaning protocols – In addition to our regular cleaning services, we have enhanced our procedures to occur at more frequent intervals and with greater attention to the disinfection of all surfaces.
5. Team member health – We are joining governments around the world in a shared effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 by asking our team members to work from home, if their function allows. Additionally, we have required that any team member who is feeling ill is not to return to the office until they have been free of a fever for more than 24 hours, without fever-reducing medications. Any high-risk exposure or confirmed case of COVID-19 necessitates a 14-day quarantine.
6. Operational continuity – Alltech operates nearly 100 manufacturing facilities around the world. Our global infrastructure enables us to shift production if necessary. We are working closely with all of our manufacturing teams to ensure operational continuity and service to our customers. We have implemented plans for all critical business units to work remotely, if required. As part of this, we continue to stress-test our systems and implement safeguards on the security of all data and technology.
7. Supply chain – We have been in contact with our key suppliers to review the status of all raw materials and have been reassured of continuity. While the majority of our materials and services are sourced in the Americas, we have built in contingencies globally, should the need to source from other geographies become necessary. Our global manufacturing and logistics capabilities position us favorably to continue to consistently serve our customers.

We have seen in other countries that food industries have been given essential industry status. As governments continue to shape their response to COVID-19, I hope you will support efforts to ensure a stable food supply.

To achieve this goal, the care and welfare of animals and crops must be of utmost importance. Feedstuffs, equipment for animal and crop production, and logistics are essential to ensure the certainty of our food supply. We ask that you implement any and all measures at your disposal to protect these vital functions until COVID-19 subsides.

We trust you value the importance of a safe, stable food supply. Thank you for your support as we seek, together, to provide security in this time of unprecedented uncertainty.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark Lyons
President and CEO, Alltech