Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus… but his sleigh is delayed.

Around the country, cargo ships are sitting in holding patterns being denied port entry and causing product shortages in most all industries. (Ask anyone who has tried to order furniture or appliances in the last months!) The bottleneck situation has prompted the White House to warn Americans that this holiday season will be difficult with order delays or product shortages. HoHoHo or NoNoNo.

The Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force has attempted to address the issues in the short-term and isn’t looking to government to resolve the problems. “The supply chain is essentially in the hands of the private sector, so we need the private sector to step up to help solve these problems. Three of the largest goods carriers in the country, Walmart, FedEx and UPS, will make commitments towards moving to 24/7, working during off peak hours” a senior WH administration official said on Wednesday. Florida is leading the way to a possible solution. The Sunshine State has put out the word that they are open and ready for business. Port workers are available for off loading and distribution across the country. Let the trucks start rolling!

How has this global situation affected AKB? Thankfully, AKB represents two family run cabinetry companies that have remained open for business during this entire pandemic and able to process orders. The only real set back has been managing extended lead times. This required extra finesse coordinating with construction teams to have spaces ready for cabinet installation, templating and countertop installation. AKB Captain, Brent Richards, may have added “transportation provider” to his job description and rent a truck a couple of times to pick up cabinetry orders, but we always met our obligations. Hardware never seemed to be a problem and was generally received without issue. Appliances were often the hold up for a finished project but nothing that stopped cabinetry and countertops from being installed.

Everyone has had to pivot and effectively manage their businesses these days. AKB is managing beautifully. Let’s hope that the holiday season experiences the same.