COVID-19 Update

Dear clients and associates,

Over the last five months PCI has invested a tremendous amount of resources into our business infrastructure and the service experience we provide to our customers. We have focused our resources on equipping our associates with the tools, knowledge, and processes they need to provide exceptional value to our clients. Founded in 2008, PCI’s culture was designed to exercise discipline, persevere through difficulties and adapt to challenging circumstances within the market. For the aforementioned reasons, we feel confident that not only will PCI survive the COVID-19 crisis, but we will look to serve our community as much as we can throughout it.

COVID-19 has served as a significant anomaly, that has undoubtedly negatively affected our company, our immediate community and the rest of our country. Most of us, have no true understanding of what will manifest in the days ahead. What we do know is that we must move forward cautiously, with unmitigated daily discipline to CDC guidelines. Compliance, especially with health and safety procedures, has always been one of PCI’s core guiding principles.

Our Perspective

We believe the precautions we are implementing within our landscape division, and the outdoor nature of the work, will serve to reduce the probability of spreading COVID-19, while allowing PCI to continue providing essential functions to our community. Being outside allows us to perform these essential functions while maintaining the recommended social distances, without putting our clients in harms way. Our construction division is taking special precautions to provide additional levels of protection for our clients that are utilizing our interior remodeling services (outlined below).

What does this mean for PCI’s clients and associates? As we monitor this continuously evolving situation, as of now, you can expect a higher level of service—relative to years past— as a result of our infrastructure improvements implemented over this past winter. In addition, we will be implementing some additional precautions outlined below.

• Contacting us: In an effort to support the CDC’s recommended social distancing measures, and to minimize any potential exposure to COVID-19— both for our clients and our staff members—we are encouraging clients to connect with us digitally (via phone or email), whenever possible. Our staff has been instructed to refrain from personal contact—including handshakes—with our customers during on-site visits, until further notice.
• Internal Processes: All of our offices, shops, and vehicles have been stocked with proper sanitization materials to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. We are also implementing a no handshake policy with both clients and fellow employees. We are taking every opportunity to separate crews while we travel from site to site, so please understand that for this reason—whenever possible— multiple trucks and employee vehicles will be stationed at the property while work is being performed.
• Inside Work: For the time being, our construction division is following the CDC’s guidelines, as well as implementing additional precautions for our interior projects. These additional precautions include implementing the use of respiratory masks, sealing off work areas and increasing the circulation of outside air through the work area.
• Temperature Reading: PCI is implementing a new internal policy, that requires our associates to take a temperature reading each morning. This will provide early detection of any symptoms requiring further medical evaluation before the employee would be considered safe to return to work.

Landscape Professionals: Necessary To Maintaining Safety. We feel it is important to share with you why the National Association of Landscape Professionals deems our landscape services as essential. The NALP states “For the foregoing reasons, landscape services should be deemed ‘essential.’”^[1].

• “Landscapers are protectors of public health performing essential treatments to lawns and green spaces to reduce the transmission of dangerous and deadly diseases through pests like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.”
• “Landscapers protect property and maintain green spaces that could otherwise jeopardize public safety. Unkept fields and green spaces increase the chance of injuries. Crime rates are increased in areas where green spaces are not maintained. Tree removal is also a critical function of our industry to avoid damaging homes and their families.”
• “Landscapers play a critical role in boosting morale and mental health during a difficult time for our Nation. Without landscape services fields, parks, businesses, and homes will become overgrown and unkept, which can have dramatic psychological effects on the mental and wellbeing of our communities.”

We Are Here for You. Our office will remain open. You can reach us at (781) 217-8144 or via email office@provostcompanies.com and your call/email will be forwarded to the correct person. We assure you that PCI remains dedicated to your needs, as we weather the COVID-19 storm.

Respectfully,

William M. Provost, CIC, CIT, CSP, MCA, MCLP, OSHA-30
PRESIDENT

^[1] — Wood, Britt “Letter stating that lawn and landscape are essential services” (March 18, 2020) https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/images/LP/Virus/Documents/Landscape_Essential_Services_Letter_3_17_20.pdf