Coronavirus Update from Ames Rubber Corporation

March 13, 2020

As the coronavirus continues to spread, Ames is closely monitoring the potential impact to our business.  We hear about the coronavirus from our supply base, our customers, and our teammates.  As such, we believe it is important that Ames share the steps we are taking to ensure the health and safety of our teammates, to keep our facilities clean, and to keep you, our customers, informed of the potential impacts to our ability to supply you with product.

Supply Chain Assessment

At this time, the outbreak has not yet caused disruption to the delivery of products and product components.  It may never.  However, we are in constant communication with our supply chain and will provide immediate communication to you, our customers, should we feel a business continuity risk.  There are raw materials and components that we purchase from supplier partners all over the world, including greater affected areas such as China.  Some of our suppliers have planned to stock extra raw materials and components to reduce such risk.  Ames is also working with some customers who desire to increase our safety stocks of the products we supply to them.

Teammate Safety and Manufacturing Operations

Of upmost importance to Ames is the safety of our teammates. At both our Hamburg, NJ and Wantage, NJ manufacturing locations, we are taking preventative measures to keep our facilities clean.  This includes frequent sanitizing of high-traffic areas such as bathrooms, breakrooms, cafeterias, doorknobs, timeclocks and the like.  We have posted, in several areas in our facilities, general steps to prevent illness much like what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest.

Furthermore, teammates with children, or with roles that will allow them to work from home, will be treated on a case-by-case basis.  We understand that health and family are first and will strive to accommodate our teammates as best as possible.  Our teammates will be reminded that Ames still must run a business but emphasize that they should err on the side of caution.  As a key partner in your supply chain, we understand the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and we want to make certain we have done everything possible to maintain the integrity of that chain.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.  Rest assured, we will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to identify any issues that may arise, and which could adversely affect our operations and our ability to maintain a continuity of supply of your products.  We will provide you with periodic updates of our situation as it relates to the pandemic.

Chuck Roberts

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ames Rubber Corporation