To our valued customers,
As we have adapted and adjusted in the last year and a half, our customers remain our top priority. The effects of the pandemic continue in our own industry and can be felt in the shipping and manufacturing industries as well. While these impacts are out of our control, we understand that the extended shipping delays and increased freight and raw materials costs affect you, our customer.
According to the Freightos Baltic Index, daily rates from China to the U.S. West Coast are up 66 percent since January and more than 400 percent since the beginning of 2020. Contributing factors to price increases and product shortages include increased shipping costs, stainless steel and lumber price increases, component and material shortages and labor cost due to overtime caused by employee shortages. All of these create difficulty for many industries across the US, including our own. With the recent spike in industry demand, our team wants to ensure you continue to experience the same Curtis Standard level of customer service to which you have been accustomed. To continue to do this, we are making adjustments to our existing processes and want to let you know about these changes.
It is estimated that shipping demands will rise up to eight percent this year, which is almost double the rate of new capacity growth. With this in mind, we are working to ensure we have adequate stock on-hand to minimize shortage issues while maintaining affordability as lead times increase for many standard items. We recommend placing your orders as early as possible as we approach the winter months to help avoid running into shipping delays. If we do not have your desired item on-hand, the Curtis team will do our best to find a quality alternative. To combat the rise of factory price increases, all quotes from our consultants will be good for 15 days. The shortening of this time is to help prevent sudden price changes due to increased freight costs or loss of supplies.
While this situation is ongoing and subject to supply fluctuations and shortages, we want to support you and your business through these challenges. If you have any questions regarding your order or specific products, please don’t hesitate to contact your Curtis Consultant. We know our success depends on your success, and we want to be a dependable partner in it.
Thank you for your continued partnership with Curtis Restaurant Supply.
Jay D. Gulick
Owner
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