FORNEY, Texas — COVID-19 has caused many business owners to rethink how they strategize for long term success. Dozens of industry sectors ranging from retail to tourism will all feel the financial pinch from COVID-19 for years to come. While businesses have now built a stronger digital platform, others are broadening their scope and services in order to keep the cash flow coming in.
Aircraft Ducting Repair in Forney, Texas, is one of those businesses that have recently adjusted their business model due to fewer planes flying in the air. COVID-19 caused air travel to come to a near halt beginning in March of 2020.
"Our business plummeted really overnight 80%," said Rodney Alford, the owner of the FAA certified repair shop.
With fewer planes flying in the air, the aircraft parts repair shop had to turn to other resources to keep all 36 employees with on payroll. So instead of slowing down on the production line, Alford and his welders began putting together barbecue smoke pits.
"Really the main reason we did this was to keep people employed," said Alford. "The last thing we wanted to do during COVID is lay anybody off."
Alford said their family of welders decided to come up with the lucrative plan of designing and manufacturing customized smokers after noticing other brands didn’t offer as much variety. Alford also knew families would be spending more time socializing and eating together, instead of going out for special occasions.
"It's been a very good stress reliever," said Alford. "The pressure in building a smoker is not like the pressure at all in repairing an aircraft part."
The barbecue pits take about two weeks to construct from raw material, and has brought a sense of relief to a team of hardworking individuals ready to weld, whatever comes their way as the aircraft industry slowly resurges again. Alford thinks their solution to their financial headaches from last year is here to stay though, he recently formalized and created a separate business for the smokers, called Smokin Pitts & Custom Sitts LLC.
"We had to have something to do," said Alford. "You can't just sit idle, that's the worst thing any human can do is sit idle. We just had to march forward the best way we knew how."
The pivot from just repairing aircraft parts to now building pit smokers and wood fixtures has elevated the family of blue collar employees to keep manufacturing through the good and bad, because there's always a product in need.
"Obviously a year ago, we didn't know COVID or a pandemic was coming," said Alford. "We're taking it day by day and actually enjoying what we're doing."