Where To From Here?

Back in February 2020, we never would have anticipated that just one month later we’d be blogging about a global pandemic. Every year carries a degree of uncertainty, but a pandemic was not in our forecast.

So, where are we now? While it’s been a tough year for so many, there are so many positive signs that hint at a new chapter for our team, our community, and Nuggeteers everywhere. We’re proud of the safety procedures that we’ve put in place at Nugget HQ throughout the last year and have some exciting new announcements regarding how we move forward from here. 

Vaccines for All

Back in March, our team got a call from the Granville Health Department in North Carolina, saying that they had vaccines available and were prioritizing them for Group 3 manufacturing employees in the county. The very next day, a representative from the county came out to HQ to discuss the vaccine with our Production Team, answer any questions, and testify to the vaccine’s efficacy and safety. 

Just over a month since that day, and roughly a year since the world was turned upside down, nearly 90% of the Nugget Team has received at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 80% of our company is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

After a strange year that kept many of our teammates and departments separated, we are thrilled about what this means for being able to safely work at Nugget HQ once again.

Continued Precautions

Throughout the past year, we’ve operated under strict guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID at Nugget HQ, including weekly on-site testing and 10 days paid time off for any positive test scenario. We created individual workstations separated by plexiglass, provided consistent fresh airflow through the facility per public health recommendations, conducted daily temperature checks, and enforced social distancing and mask wearing whenever in the facilities. 

Looking ahead, we are confident that we can continue to monitor the situation while adapting rules and safety protocols as needed. Our Production Team has adapted to all rules with grace and patience — thank you, Production Team!

Welcoming Aaron

Another piece of the safety puzzle fell into place with the hiring of our Safety Manager, Aaron. He oversees COVID safety as well as general compliance and employee safety at HQ. Since starting earlier this year, he’s conducted a rigorous safety assessment of HQ, worked out risk mitigation and procedures to eliminate and control hazards in the workplace, oh, and moved from his native Louisiana to Durham. Whew! Running at a bajillion miles an hour doesn’t tire this marathon runner though — when he’s not working at HQ, Aaron loves to spend time in the great outdoors, hanging out with his family, or cooking up a delicious gumbo. Welcome, Aaron, we’re glad to have you!