A Note from Jeff & Bob Asher regarding the Coronavirus
UPDATE – 12/21/20:
To our valued customers:
As always, we hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy.
In efforts to keep you updated, we wish to notify you of the latest at Asher’s Chocolate Co. Currently, our two factories in Souderton, PA and Lewistown, PA are up and running with regular production and operations, following all guidelines and precautions outlined by Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf and the CDC.
In addition to new procedures, we have also taken efforts to add technologies that will further enhance not only efficiencies, but also best secure our employees and the products we produce. We have added a temperature kiosk at our facility entrance, taking hands-free temperatures of every employee upon entry of the building. Additionally, we have added automated handwashing stations to the entrance of our production floor.
Our Corporate Offices are adept at working virtually when needed, and we are shifting staff on premises to enforce social distancing amongst Asher’s employees.
Our Retail Stores are open for In-Store Shopping, while still offering Curbside Pickup for those customers that prefer it. We require all patrons in our stores wear masks, and we also regulate the number of shoppers in the store at any one time to enforce social distancing. We continue to regularly wipe down and sterilize high-touch surfaces and areas. Both our Retail Stores and Corporate Office Entrances are equipped with plexiglass shields between staff and visitors.
At this time, the situation seems to be improving, but we will continue to be diligent and thorough in our efforts to ensure the safety and health of our employees and customers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and we will continue to stay in touch during this challenging time.
Jeff & Bob Asher
UPDATE – 3/20/20:
To our customers:
We wish the best to you and your family, as we continue work to ensure our employees and families are safe and healthy.
In our efforts to regularly update you, Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf released a statement yesterday ordering all “non-life-sustaining” businesses to close, effective 8pm last night. However, under those specific guidelines, Asher’s is classified as “Sugar and Confectionary Product Manufacturing,” and therefore is able to remain in operation. Accordingly, we will continue to operate following the strict recommendations and guidelines put forth by the state and CDC, shipping out everything you need until further notice.
Additionally, we have moved up our annual production maintenance and inventory to take place over the next two weeks, beginning Monday, March 23. This will allow us to resume normal operations as quickly and efficiently as possible once the virus passes. During this time, we will still be shipping.
As the situation develops and changes, seemingly with each passing hour, we know your needs are changing as well, and we intend to stand by you throughout this process. As always, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and we will continue to stay in touch during this challenging time.
Jeff & Bob Asher
UPDATE – 3/18/20:
Valued Customers:
On behalf of the entire team at Asher’s Chocolate Co., we hope this message finds you and your families healthy and safe.
As your partner, we want to continue to provide you with regular updates. Our production and shipping facilities are fully operational as we continue to monitor and follow guidance from the CDC and the FDA. Our production and warehouse associates are working in environments that maintain the CDC’s guidance that groups be limited to 10 persons or less.
In accordance with local mandates, we have closed the retail outlets at our Souderton PA and Lewistown PA facilities until further notice. To best ensure the wellbeing of our associates and our communities, our office staff is working from home. We’re utilizing phone and videoconference capabilities to ensure your experience with Asher’s is ‘business as usual’ in this highly unusual time.
We understand that your business needs are likely developing and changing rapidly, and we intend to stand by you. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and we promise that we’ll stay in touch during this challenging time. We’re proud to be your partner, and we want to assure you that we take that responsibility seriously.
Jeff & Bob Asher
UPDATE – 3/16/20:
We are now offering Curbside Delivery at our Souderton & Lewistown Retail Stores! We apologize for the inconvenience of closing our retail stores, but we want to ensure everyone can have a little sweetness in these unsure times! Curbside Delivery is available Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm. Call 215-721-3276 for Souderton orders, and call 717-248-3700 for Lewistown orders.
UPDATE – 3/12/20:
Our deepest apologies, but by recommendation by PA Gov. Wolf, we have decided to close our Souderton Retail Store until further notice as of 3/13/20. We think chocolate is “essential” but alas, Governor Wolf does not classify it that way! Rest assured though that we are still shipping out orders right here at Ashers.com!
ORIGINAL – 3/12/20:
At Asher’s, the health and safety of our customers, consumers, and employees is paramount above all else. This manifests in our ability to provide not only high-quality products, but also the safest products to consume. With more information surfacing about the Coronavirus, we at Asher’s want to reassure our customers and consumers that we are taking every measure possible to ensure that Asher’s remains a clean and safe facility.
At this juncture, we feel the best course of action is prevention, and we have implemented a number of additional procedures to our facility and stores at the recommendation of the CDC to ensure that we go above and beyond in our preventative duties.
We have erected additional hand sanitizing stations strategically throughout our facility for more readily accessible sanitizing. Our building is also under restricted visitation policy. There will be no visitors in our facility unless they have been pre-screened. Additionally, our QA department is increasing the amount of environmental testing to determine the spread of bacteria and germs. Our sanitization and administrative departments are also performing routine environmental cleaning on all surfaces in the workplace, including countertops, desks, doorknobs, etc.
In our Retail Stores, our associates have been taking great care to ensure our patrons enter a clean and safe environment in our building. All sampling has been discontinued for the time being, so as to avoid potential spread of the virus. Associates have also been regularly sanitizing the countertops, checkout areas, shopping baskets, doorknobs and entryways, as well as our Self-Guided Tour area in our viewing corridor. We have also placed hand sanitizing stations in the entryway of the store so patrons can take every precaution they wish.
Most importantly, our entire facility has participated in educational sessions to understand the Coronavirus, its symptoms, how it spreads, and what we can do as individuals to prevent the spread. We have also discussed the importance of proper hand cleaning and hygiene practices with our staff and placed informational signs in the rest rooms. Asher’s as a company is making sure to encourage any employee that demonstrates any symptoms of illness, or has had contact with anyone that may demonstrate symptoms, to stay home without concern about pay and compensation.
As of right now, we have had no known cases of illness or exposure to the Coronavirus. However, we are constantly and consistently evaluating the situation so we can readily adjust any of our procedures to ensure the level of safety and trust that you as Asher’s customers and consumers have come to expect.
Your safety, as our customers and consumers, has always been our top priority, and we will continue to work the hardest we can to ensure that safety, along with continuing to provide the highest quality product.
Sincerely,
Jeff & Bob Asher
Kathy officially started with Asher’s in October 2007 as Distribution Manager. Flashback to January 1st, 2008, when Asher’s set a GO LIVE date for Ross. Kathy took control of this new project, so her primary focus was to learn the inventory and shipping functions as quickly as possible in the Ross test environment. There were numerous GO LIVE hurdles to overcome with the programming and processes, but Kathy used her expert experience to successfully navigate all the challenges.
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