It was exactly one year ago today – on March 23, 2020 – when the UK went into lockdown.

What a year it has been – who could have predicted what the next 12 months would hold?

John Reid & Sons Ltd (REIDsteel) was one of the first firms to temporarily shut down its manufacturing and construction site operations – and led the way in re-opening five weeks later when we welcomed staff back into our workshops with social distancing and resumed operations on construction sites.

One year on, we’ve returned to – and exceeded – pre-Covid levels of productivity and are firing on all cylinders, albeit with some differences.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our people, suppliers and contractors remains our first priority.

A number of employees have returned to the offices at our headquarters in Christchurch, Dorset, while many remain working remotely from home.

Social distancing and strict Covid safety measures are in place at our manufacturing facility in Christchurch and we’ve worked with contracting partners on construction sites to ensure they can remain open safely.

Praise must go to all of our people, partners and suppliers who have embraced our new Covid-19 working practices amid the various lockdowns and restrictions over the past year.

Their commitment has helped to place the company in a strong position so it is able to play a full part in supporting the country’s economic recovery as we pass this landmark anniversary and look forward to a more positive year ahead.

ENDS