WF&FSA COVID-19 Honoree

Floracraft recognizes Nicole Schwarz

"Nicole Schwarz has taken up mask making. She was in 4-H years ago in a home economics club focused on sewing and cooking. Sewing was not her strength but her basic knowledge has come in handy during this time of need. Nicole has made over 20 masks for friends and family. She has graciously sent masks to Florida, Ohio, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Nicole plans to continue making them ask long as her supplies hold up. Thank you for making us proud!" - Floracraft

Like many Michigan businesses, Ludington-based FloraCraft was required to shut down for nearly two months under an executive order. During this challenging time, it was critical we united to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 by always having the health and wellbeing of our employees and community as our top priority. As a top employer in the area, many families rely on FloraCraft for a steady, fair income.

Fortunately, even though we were prohibited from producing or shipping, we were able to keep our team of 200+ employees on the payroll and continue health care coverage through this crisis. We knew that taking care of our team members and ensuring they remained healthy was critical so we could swiftly restart operations and service our customers when it was safe to do so.

CEO Eric Erwin provided daily updates to all employees on how the latest developments affected FloraCraft's business, how team members were engaging in the community, and what to expect going forward. Many team members used their time to assist in community relief efforts by making face masks, donating blood, working with the American Red Cross on the front lines in the Detroit area, and assisting food donation centers. Additionally, we quickly curated and launched our Learning Center (www.floracraft.com/2020/04/09/learningcenterprojects) providing at-home activity ideas for parents who suddenly became homeschoolers.

Hard work and commitment are in the DNA of our family-owned business. We have a strong internal culture that supports our team members and community both of which have been critical to FloraCraft's success.