Did you hear the one about the two man-eating lions, strolling down the supermarket aisles?
“Not many about " said one to the other.
I was reminded of this with our streets and stores being so eerily quiet during lockdown 2020. The antagonist of course was less visible than two big cats out shopping for lunch but more pervasive, with the impact of Covid 19 quite incredible. We have been living through an historic time, which hopefully will be a once in a lifetime experience shared in distant recollections.
It may take some time before the full implications of this pandemic can be fully assessed. Above all, our thoughts are with those who may have lost loved ones.
The economic fall out may be felt longer term but that's for another day.
Medium term we might see more resource given at last to our NHS in recognition of their incredible service and the clear esteem by which they are held nationally. Mess with them now at your peril, dear politicians.
More immediate however will be the impact this virus has on our personal behaviour and on hygiene. The places we go and the things we touch will be reconditioned by their cross contamination potential.
For many businesses, this might not necessarily be good news. For NDA Packaging Services however and our sister water refilling station company Hydrachill Ltd, consumer focus on better hygiene will be vindication of key principles.
Our bottle business for example was founded on our revolutionary “hands free” lids. Using advanced valve technology developed originally at NASA for astronauts, we adapted the benefits for our bottle caps. Not only did it eliminate the potential choking hazard of push-pull buttons, it obviated the need for the mouthpiece to be touched by “unclean hands.”
Today our hands free lids have become an iconic feature within the reusable bottle industry, used by hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren over a generation (not to mention sportsmen, drivers and many more). Never has the hygienic property of this lid been more appreciated as we emerge from lockdown hibernation.
A mention in despatches too for our NHS reusable bottles approved for use in clinical environments and providing invaluable hydration support at the most critical time of need.
Equally for HydraChill Water Refilling Stations, the retractable dispensing head that eliminates any possibility of contact cross contamination was always viewed as one of the units strongest USP’s. Never more so than today, supplemented too by the electronic filling mechanism used in our new wall mounted units. “No hands required”. As I write, we’ve newly received a school’s confirmation for 19 such units, readying for pupil return, all non-touch.
It’s strange how things sometimes work out. You invest because you believe in your product and principles, even though pursuading customers of its true added value can require patience and persistence. Then an invisible lion roars and we have just the safari vehicle needed, engine running, experienced guides on board.
