Laurens County community efforts needed to slow spread of Covid-19

The Laurens County Development Corporation (LCDC) is working to rally citizens in our community—and the state as a whole—to help slow the spread of Covid-19. Last week, in partnership with the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, LCDC began promoting the #WearItSC campaign, an effort to encourage the wearing of protective face coverings/masks. The initiative has already gained momentum with local leaders, businesses, and industries. LCDC hopes that the message will resonate throughout the community and preventative measures will be taken so that the virus does not continue to negatively impact business and production.

Employees at Inteplast show how they WearItSC

Laurens County industries and manufacturers are vigilant in their efforts to decrease the spread of Covid-19 by requiring social distancing and the wearing of face masks in their facilities. The LCDC is encouraging the entire community to extend these critical precautions outside of the workplace as well. Taking preventative measures, such as wearing a face mask in public, will help keep production running and local businesses thriving.

Many local companies have Covid-19 precautionary practices in place and several have shared their practices and #WearItSC campaign photos.

At the Inteplast BOPP Films plant in Gray Court, 123 employees have joined in the #WearitSC challenge. BOPP Films is proud to partner with fellow South Carolinian businesses in keeping its employees and their families safe and protected against COVID-19 exposure. In many of Inteplast’s locations, cleaning stations with ample disinfectant and cleaning products can be found, as well as daily temperature screenings, and socially distant seating in break rooms. Senior Director of Operations Greg Gillis said masks are non-negotiable at the facility. The collective safety of his colleagues and their families continues to be a priority. “We are heeding the advice of national and state medical experts who have advised that due to the fact that COVID-19 can be spread asymptomatically, the best way to limit the spread is through social distancing and the proper wearing of facial coverings. The message to employees is, you are wearing the mask to protect others as much as yourself, because no one knows who may be positive for the virus,” said Gillis. Plant Manager Scott Coffey said that staff has been wearing masks since March, due to Inteplast’s company-wide guidelines for pandemic safety standards. “Wearing masks and social distancing are our best defenses in defeating this virus and assuring everyone’s well-being. We wear the mask because we care for each other and each other’s families,” said Coffey.

The entire plant at Fukoku America, Inc. (FAI) has committed to additional safety protocols to keep their workplace safe for all employees. Some of these additional practices include social distancing, temperature checks, additional engineering controls such as personal masks, barriers, social distancing signs and reminders, and additional cleaning and disinfectant protocols on a regular basis. Their employees—including the entire leadership team and the President—have been crucial to the cause by supporting these additional precautionary measures. FAI values safety in their workplace and encourage all employees to be socially responsible away from work during these difficult times. Human Resource Manager Jeannie McCallum says, “At FAI, we care about each other and are a family. We have recently seen a large increase in business volume and look forward to continuing to grow in Laurens county.”

For more on the #WearItSC campaign, or to join in the initiative and help encourage others, visit the “News and Media” page at www.growlaurenscounty.com.