Thill Incorporated Customer Alert
Thill Incorporated Classified as Essential Infrastructure Sector Business and Essential Business And Operations
As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, federal, state and local governments continue to take action to stem the spread of the virus. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has executed, effective today (March 24, 2020) a “Safe-At-Home” order that generally prohibits the movement of people, except in limited circumstances in the State of Wisconsin. This order also requests that businesses close or reduce staff unless the business is considered essential.
Thill Incorporated is committed to fully complying with these requirements to ensure the safety and health of our workforce, our customers and the community.
It is Thill’s position that our business falls within the State’s Essential Infrastructure (Section 10, referenced below), and the State’s Essential Businesses And Operations (Section 13, Sub-Section O, referenced below) as outlined in the State Of Wisconsin Emergency Order #12 Stay-At-Home Order, and that Thill also falls within the Critical Infrastructure Sectors referenced in federal guidance. As a result, Thill is exempt from the closure or reduction in staffing requirements and will continue its full operation.
This determination is based on Thill’s review and interpretation of the State Of Wisconsin Emergency Order #12 Stay-At-Home Order regarding what constitutes “Essential Infrastructure” and “Essential Businesses and Operations”. Specifically, State Of Wisconsin Emergency Order #12 Stay At Home Order signed by Governor Evers on March 24, 2020.
- 10. Essential Infrastructure. For purposes of this Order, individuals may leave their residence to provide any services or perform any work necessary to offer, provide, operate, maintain and repair Essential Infrastructure.
Essential Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to: food production, distribution, fulfillment centers, storage facilities, marinas, and sales; construction (including, but not limited to, construction required in response to this public health emergency, hospital construction, construction of long-term care and assisted living facilities, public works construction, school construction, Essential Business and Operations construction, construction necessary for Essential Governmental Functions, and housing construction, except that optional or aesthetic construction should be avoided); building management and maintenance; airport operations; operation and maintenance of utilities, including water, sewer, gas, and electric (including power generation, distribution, production of raw materials, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-certified and registered drinking water and wastewater testing laboratories); Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and Public Benefits Energy Assistance Program offices, customer service centers, and public intake centers; distribution centers; oil and biofuel refining; roads, highways, railroads, and public transportation; ports; cybersecurity operations; flood control; solid waste and recycling collection and removal; and internet, video, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services). Essential Infrastructure shall be construed broadly to avoid any impacts to essential infrastructure, broadly defined.
- 13. Essential Businesses and Operations. All entities described in this section shall meet Social Distancing Requirements between all individuals on the premises to the extent possible. Essential Businesses and Operations shall, to the greatest extent possible, use technology to avoid meeting in person, including virtual meetings, teleconference, and remote work (i.e., work from home). For the purposes of this Order, Essential Businesses and Operations means Healthcare and Public Health Operations, Human Services Operations, Essential Infrastructure, and Essential Governmental Functions, and the following:
- Mail, post, shipping, logistics, delivery, and pick-up services.
Post offices and other businesses that provide shipping and delivery services, and businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, beverages, goods or services to end users or through commercial channels.
In addition to our State of Wisconsin review, Thill has reviewed and interpreted United States Department of Homeland Security guidance regarding what constitutes “critical business infrastructure”. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce on March 19, 2020 identifying Critical Infrastructure Sectors to assist state and local governments in determining how these orders should address certain types of sectors. The DHS guidance identifies transportation and logistics as a critical infrastructure sector. The guidance states that within transportation and logistics, “Employees of firms providing services that enable logistics operations, including cooling, storing, packaging and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use”, are part of a critical infrastructure sector.
Thill will continue to work with local and federal government authorities to ensure compliance with this order and will provide updates as we are able. For reference, we have included links to the State Of Wisconsin Department Of Health Emergency Order #12 Stay At Home Order and Department of Homeland Security Federal Guidelines. For information relating to state and local government orders, please visit the respective government websites below.
To the extent that you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly at (920)-967-8092 or your designated Thill representative, for more information.
