Julio Gonzalez: ‘Customers want us to keep things moving’

The coronavirus crisis is affecting the lives and businesses of many in the global recycling scene. ‘The economical impact will last for a long time,’ says Julio Gonzalez, commercial director at Spanish recycling equipment manufacturer Moros.

How are you, Julio?

‘As you know, Spain has been hit very hard and many of my fellow countrymen are going through a very difficult time in their lives. So far, nobody at Moros or near us has been affected directly by the virus. From the very beginning, we have taken measures to protect ourselves and our suppliers and customers. Although Spain is now slowly starting to get over this tough situation, the economic impact of the virus will probably last a long time. At the same time we all want to be optimistic and hope when possible to leave this crisis even stronger.’

How has the coronavirus affected your business and operations?

‘We have been working from home for weeks but manufacturing has not been much affected. Our sector has been declared essential with only few exceptions, so business is moving and machines are still being delivered when possible. Some customers are closed and have asked us to put projects on hold but most are still working and want us to keep things moving. Of course, even in this situation, we are still providing remote service to our customers around the globe and making sure delivery of spare parts continues to run on time.’

What have you done to help reduce the impact?

‘I am proud to say Moros moved quickly and effectively from the first signs of the coronavirus. We had already introduced personal protection equipment and promoted working from home even before the government told companies to take such measures. I think this has been the key to staying safe. Moreover, from the very beginning we were in direct contact with customers to look for alternatives when needed. Some customers need our help these days and I can say we are only too happy to help.’

What do you expect to be the long-term effect on your business?

‘After Easter we will start getting back to more or less normal as most companies in Spain have approval to restart activities. Obviously the coming months are not going to be easy. This is a worldwide crisis and I do not think anybody knows how long or how hard it is going to be. We know that some companies are going to face difficulties in the following months so our priority now is to support and help both customers and suppliers. I am optimistic and it is encouraging that most customers are trying to be optimistic, too. So I hope that normal operations and new projects will soon be day-to-day practice again.’

What are your main lessons learned from the crisis so far?

‘We have seen how society is kind and supportive in difficult times. We have realised that we are stronger together. As an example, here in Spain the majority of the people have complied with the government’s movement restrictions and it has not been easy. I have realised that we have all learnt a lot about the latest economic crisis. This has helped us to move in many cases even more quickly and better than governments to prevent damage.’