By Kate Gallego | Phoenix Business Journal
Each one of us has a part to play in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in our community. For our local businesses, these acts extend beyond staying home and physically distancing. Closing a business to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is a generous, selfless act and one that has ripple effects beyond what many of us could imagine. The business, its employees and their customers are making a considerable sacrifice to protect our community.
One of the most challenging parts of this formidable virus is that you know exactly who pays the price when closing a business, but you may never know who you’ve helped through this act. If you have made changes to your life such as staying home, then the people of Phoenix and I owe you a debt of gratitude. Your selflessness is saving lives.
Our business community has stepped up in a big way as we face this unprecedented crisis. Local companies are pivoting their business operations to answer the call for critical personal protective equipment for our health care workers and first responders. Arena Merchandising is a Phoenix merchandising company known for producing custom-printed apparel. Its 120 operators are now making N95-compliant masks. They project the capacity to produce almost 100,000 masks a week.