Local conglomerate helps fight virus, needs workers

    Blairsville, Ga. – The president of a local multimillion-dollar conglomerate recently received a request to help the nation.
    “I got a call at home one night from the White House,” Jenny Chandler, president of Corrugated Replacements Inc., told the Cherokee Scout. “[Since then] I’ve had conference calls with the White House about us making different parts for ventilators.”
    Founded in 1981, Corrugated Replacements is known for manufacturing replacement parts for machines that create boxes. However, over the years the company has expanded, and today it manufactures parts for just about any machine imaginable.
    The company has manufactured parts for satellite dishes, Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and they’ve even built heat shields for computer boards on missiles used by the U.S. government. After COVID-19 began sweeping the nation, the company started working on a government contract to manufacture parts for ventilators that are being used in hospitals across the country.
    It’s safe to say the company’s revenue has increased due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the government contract is not the only contributor to that. With people staying home and ordering more goods online, shipping has increased to both homes and retailers.
    Shipping has increased so much that FedEx, United Parcel Service and the U.S. Postal Service have each reported a lower on-time delivery rate since the beginning of March, according to last-mile technology vendor Convey Inc.
    “With people hoarding, companies are having to ship more to stores, which has helped this company tremendously,” Chandler said, adding that sales have dramatically increased due to the virus. “I’ve had to hire more people.”
    The company has hired three additional employees since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. However, it still needs more.
    “I can’t find a whole lot of people to work,” Chandler said. “We’re looking for people every day.”
    Corrugated Replacements provides an apprenticeship program so employees do not need specialized training to begin working for the company. New employees with zero background in manufacturing parts start in the shipping department before moving to the engineering department, where they are taught how to read blueprints and use measuring equipment.
    “Then they move to the shop floor and learn how to run every piece of equipment in the shop,” Chandler said.
    The business is also the parent company of several other factories throughout Blairsville that provide similar products and services complimenting the offerings of Corrugated Replacements. Employees are regularly evaluated and moved to other companies, depending on their level of experience and career goals.
    “I hire for all the companies, and we move people around as we see where they fit best,” Chandler said. “Our doors are always open to any visitors who want to tour the place or just learn about us.”