The Daily Grind / E28 – Kevin Smith addresses evaluating supplier solutions when re-opening facilities


Thursday on the Daily Grind livestream, Kevin Smith of Ferrandino & Son, discussed re-evaluating your vendor solution as multi-site facilities make plans to re-open. Ferrandino & Son is a national facility maintenance and construction services company that provides services to more than 35,000 locations across the United States.

“As far as the current climate we’re really still trying to deal with the real impact this pandemic has had on our industry,” said Smith. “It’s really transitioned from a health pandemic into a financial pandemic for many companies.

In our industry it is expected that 20-30% of smaller businesses are not going to survive the shutdown. This is going to be at the forefront of our planning as we try to assess who’s going to make it, who needs to reposition from a supplier standpoint, and what we can do to help.


One thing you can do to really gauge supplier credentials is to research them on the
Connex Online Buyers Guide. You can also check supplier websites and ask questions in the Connex Communities.


As we move to re-open facilities there are key things to keep in mind:

·       Create an inspection checklist – and use it consistently

·       Prioritize, what can be pushed out

·       Don’t forget about the exterior of facilities

·       Keep safety in mind even post-COVID-19

“Even with these points, moving forward will be a process. However, if you think safety first going forward, we’ll get through this safely together,” concluded Smith.