Wow – here we are, starting yet ANOTHER New Year. Some of us are still getting used to writing “2021” on our checks, and many of us couldn’t be happier putting last year behind us.
There’s no question the past two years have been challenging. Our company and our city experienced the damage of a Category 4 Hurricane called a “Derecho” in mid 2020. No one would ever have thought a hurricane would hit IOWA. While working through that, we also had to find creative ways to navigate through the pandemic and that has been a challenge as well. We’ve had staff out due to Covid, and we’ve been in the middle of supply chain issues with unheard-of lead times that have put a strain on us all.
In many regards, we could have the same negative thoughts and “doom and gloom” that so many have had. This is not to say that things have been easy the last couple of years, but we choose to look at how fortunate we are and how blessed we have been. We are so thankful for the team we have at MPRC and their commitment and dedication to our customers. The reality is, through all of these struggles, we have ended 2021 as one of our best and most profitable fiscal years in our companies’ history.
How does this happen when we know that everyone is short-staffed, lead times are triple what they used to be, and raw material costs continue to go up in what seems like monthly increases? How can a company combat these things and still come out profitable and with record numbers?
The answer is: we stretch ourselves. We have become even more innovative and self-reliant, increasing our overall capacity of in-house rubber molded components. We’ve increased our commitment to marketing and letting our customers and potential customers know more about the products and services we offer, and what sets MPRC apart from our competition. We’ve invested in a new website that will serve as an incredible resource for our customers for both technical and current industry news, including readily available product flyers for download and product videos.
Great things are happening at MPRC, and we are excited about what 2022 will bring. We are bringing on new staff to continue to bring the quality and service our customers have come to expect. Thank you for your continued business and trust in us as your fluid sealing specialist.
Best regards,
Josh Hale
President
Master Packing & Rubber Company