Chief Operating Officer of Sole Supports Inc, Kenneth Burks, of Tennessee responds

This interview took place on March 29, 2020.

Kenneth Burks is the COO of Sole Supports, Inc. in Hickman County, Tennessee, a manufacturer of orthotics products for podiatrists. As the coronavirus news was rumbling in China, Ken was already thinking about what could happen if the infection reached the United States. As a small, innovative company, he and his team have been ready to rise to the occasion to be part of the solution to the COVID-19 response.

Guest bio:

Kenneth Burks, Chief Operating Officer of Sole Supports, Inc.

With a BS in politics and business and a Masters in curriculum and instruction, most of Kenneth Burks' career was spent working as an educator of emotionally and behaviorally disturbed teens in private residential treatment settings.

When the great recession hit in late 2008 he found himself unemployed for a time in his life. At the 99th week of unemployment, he was graciously hired to work for Dr. Ed Glaser at Sole Supports, Inc. He had never considered manufacturing and has found it to be rewarding and more fun than he could have imagined, like working in a giant toy box of amazing and creative people.

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Transcript:

Sally Hendrick (01:33):

You're Kenneth Burks

Kenneth Burk (01:40):

Right. And I'm the COO of Sole Supports, Inc.

Sally Hendrick (01:43):

Sole Supports and that's in Tennessee. And you've got a couple of factories and you just said Hohenwald. And where was the other one? Lyles

Kenneth Burk (01:56):

in the Lyles, Tennessee.

Sally Hendrick (01:58):

Lyles, Tennessee. Okay.

Kenneth Burk (01:59):

The company is owned by Dr Ed Glaser. Great person.

Sally Hendrick (02:03):

Oh, okay. Gotcha. So you're the COO and what's going on right now, specifically in your area? What are you doing right now?

Kenneth Burk (02:16):

Here in a little Lyle's area or in our, in our business.

Sally Hendrick (02:21):

Well, either one, whichever one you want to start with. I think we'll go both ways in

Kenneth Burk (02:24):

a local area here in the local area. Most businesses, restaurants and things are carry out only if they're open. As far as our business, our business is off by about half and seems to be declining daily, as of last week because, doctors of podiatry are not considered essential medicine. So they're not prescribing orthotics, which is what we do. And I believe many of them may be called into hospitals at some point in time because it would be probably a little bit qualified than a nurse for certain things. So I expect many of those will be called into action in States or were will ask to go into, to action. And then a lot of our older doctors who are near retirement may decide it's time to hang up their shingles. So it may affect our business, after this crisis as well.

Sally Hendrick (03:18):

So tell me, what is it that you're doing to pivot right now? Cause when we talked earlier this week, you were frantically trying to figure out how to pivot in your factory,

Kenneth Burk (03:31):

Right. I was, I've been trying to find something else we could make to keep everybody busy. A face shield seems to be a low hanging fruit, pretty easy to make. But appears that larger manufacturing facilities have decided to pick up all of the low hanging fruit, which is really, jeopardizing a lot of smaller businesses that it's, we're more flexible. We can turn on a dime unlike a big factory. It jeopardizes us because we can't get involved. We're not asking to make a big profit. We're just asking to make enough to keep the lights on and keep our good people in place. I don't care about making a profit as long as I can pay the bills here and pay my people. But it's very difficult to even find materials. I can't even, I can't even locate materials to do it. And then I don't know if once I do it, if I can even sell the items, it would be nice to, to work with some of these bigger companies and let us make the products and they be our supply line.

Sally Hendrick (04:36):

So are you reaching out to some of these?

Kenneth Burk (04:39):

I've reached out to them and I've reached out to manufacturers and make the materials and at this time I cannot get my hands on the right materials to make it. But I think that's because these other companies have kind of stepped in and they're trying to supply them with the materials, which I don't blame them. They're businesses too. They're just trying to survive. Right. But,

Sally Hendrick (05:04):

Do you think that they would tap you, the smaller businesses in any way to help to spread this out around the country as opposed to taking it all on themselves?

Kenneth Burk (05:15):

I think it would be much better to spread it out amongst, around the country where I, I'm certain I could supply enough shields for, for Tennessee and possibly Alabama and Georgia. We're right here. I certainly could help with, with the speed at which they're getting it because I'm just a few hours, drives a few hours, drive away. Unlike California, which is across the country in two days at best to get it in place, I believe I could probably make eight to 10,000 mask a day, shields today. And have them at our local hospitals within 12 hours. All of our hospitals in the area of Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, North Carolina, all of those things are just in that hour, drives away from my area, which is a lot more efficient than shipping it from Washington or Oregon or California. I know they're all suffering as well, but I think we should be trying to think local right now instead of trying to think nationally. I think it's more efficient.

Sally Hendrick (06:22):

Yeah, I agree with you. I agree. I've mixed a lot of sense and it keeps the lights on where you are, so it keeps the people here employed and so on and so forth. So as far as like having people in the factory, how are you handling the social distancing and the safety measures that we're supposed to have in place?

Kenneth Burk (06:41):

Well, we're very fortunate the way our factory is laid out. People here have a good distance, probably 10 to 20 feet from each other in most cases. I've also encouraged anybody who feels that they're at risk at no penalty to themselves. If they feel like it's too risky to be here. I let them off and I tell them to go home. I don't want any of my jeopardized people or people would jeopardize family taking chances and bringing it home to their family. No job is worth killing yourself for.

Sally Hendrick (07:18):

Definitely not. I really appreciate that cause it helps beyond your factory. It helps the communities.

Kenneth Burk (07:25):

Right. And right now all of my employees take this very seriously, but I was paying attention in January when they were welding doors shut on the Chinese people. And I knew then that this was not a normal flu regardless of the lack of attention. The press was going to it at the time. And so I began talking about it with my more aware employees and they talked about it with their friends. So everyone here has been getting ready themselves for over a month. So that was really, really smart. And I have, my average employee is above 45, so I'm really conscious about taking care of them. I have people with health impairments that whether they've told me or not I know exists. And, and I don't want them sick. I want them to retire here.

Sally Hendrick (08:22):

So what type of connections could we possibly be making for you? For anybody listening to this or anybody that I put this in front of, what type of connections do you need right now? Something with the hospital administrators or what?

Kenneth Burk (08:43):

Any company that has got, who is able to make a product

Kenneth Burk (08:50):

and get it to the government. Get it to the hospitals. You know, there, there several large manufacturing facilities you cannot make all of the face shields and face and N95 and other equipment yourself. Find partners in the state, show them what to do and let them have some of the business. I'm willing to sign a noncompete after this is over. I don't want that business. You can have it back. All I wanna do is keep my people working, do my duty as a American citizen and keep this thing floating because this will end. And many, many businesses will go away forever if they don't spread this out.

Sally Hendrick (09:35):

So how, what have you done so far where you've run into a brick wall? Basically?

Kenneth Burk (09:41):

I have called, material, people who sell materials in several States and either I don't get a call back because they're swamped or out of business or I'm told that all of their materials are not spoken for at this time and they have nothing available. Which makes me think that, you know, there's big manufacturers just pulling in all of the materials to try to help and it's admirable. I understand. And at the same time, I do know they're trying to stay afloat too, but this is a big boat. Let's not sink everybody.

Sally Hendrick (10:21):

So what about, have you contacted Vanderbilt or any other local hospitals? Anything in Memphis?

Kenneth Burk (10:28):

Uh, I have not. I have not directly called the hospitals. I think they have their hands full. And just to have somebody begging them for business. I'm not begging for business, but I would like, you know I do they know how to manufacture these parts? I don't think so. So they're just calling their vendors and saying we need something. And the vendors are calling other people trying to get it. The hospitals are not in the manufacturing business. They're in the procurement business. You know, they just try to procure goods when they need it. I don't know that hospitals could directly help me.

Sally Hendrick (11:04):

Even though they're looking, I mean like they do you think that they can change their vendors?

Kenneth Burk (11:10):

They're calling their vendors saying help us. We need materials. Their vendors are reaching out to other manufacturers and I just don't see, I may be mistaken, but I can't imagine some hospital administrator in purchasing calling up factories and asking people, can you make me this?

Sally Hendrick (11:30):

Well I say that, but if you have the ability and you know what it takes to literally pivot on a dime and turn around and fulfill what they need and you're practically next door, maybe we should make that introduction happen.

Kenneth Burk (11:45):

Well I am. I am sticking to the, the acquaintance that you spoke to me about.

Sally Hendrick (11:50):

Yes, Steve Paladino. I'm talking to him next

Kenneth Burk (11:54):

and, and, and he knows what I can do and he knows the materials I need and I just haven't heard anything back. I'm sure he's running into the same problem I've caught. We have all kinds of plastics vendors that we deal with anyway and there's local packaging companies that could do some of this work. One of the things they need is these disposable sterile gowns. There is a high, a plastic bag manufacturer. Why in the world can they be solicited to make a disposable plastic gown? I think that's something they could probably do. No one has reached out to them for that. Interstate packaging and Kingston Springs. Probably could do some stuff. There's another packaging company in Clarksville and that could do some things, but there's no coordination from our state leadership, which is, should be coordinating these things with all the factories. You would think they would call everyone together and say, what do you do? What do you make? This is what we need. Here's samples of what we need. What can, can you do this? That would be very useful because there are a lot of small manufacturers out here that supply all we need for the area and surrounding area. Uh, we could get, we could get, we have materials on our shelves. It's, it's just the most bizarre thing. Well, we're just trying to figure it out on our own, which is insanity.

Sally Hendrick (13:20):

Yeah. I agree. Well, maybe we'll get this

Kenneth Burk (13:23):

and no parties off the hook. Don't let anybody think that they're off the hook because they're, they're not in the cause. They're not in, in the, in the governing, uh, leadership party. Look, they're all the blame. No, no. Leadership leadership can come from either side of the aisle. There's no one on either side of the aisle trying to lead this

Sally Hendrick (13:42):

Yeah, I agree with that. And I think we need to get that message to our leaders here in this state and we've got to figure out something.

Kenneth Burk (13:53):

Yeah. They don't need to feel like they're exempt because their Democrats or their exempt, because they're Republicans, they're not exempt and they're supposed to be leading each one of them. And I'm very disappointed with all our leaders. So all our leadership, all our elected officials, they have dropped the ball.

Sally Hendrick (14:12):

So is there, what about the fears you have right now? What are you managing with that?

Kenneth Burk (14:20):

To me, I'm not afraid. I just don't operate that way. I get mad not afraid. What, you know, that I'm, I've, you know, you try to push me around and you're going to have to fight me. I'm not going to back away. And that's what I feel like I'm, I'm trying to fight and I have nothing to swat it, you know? And, and I'm just, I, I'm blind right now because I don't know where to pick up and which direction to go. I've got capable, smart people who are willing to participate and help make products to help our community, to help our state, to help the United States and everybody around us. But I don't have anything that I can do with those talented people. I have software engineers who can write software to make, ventilators work. I have, you know, why isn't somebody looking at CPAP machines and seeing if they can, use equipment that already exists and build respirators out of.

Kenneth Burk (15:23):

I've heard nothing about that as much as I've Googled it and tried to find there's some brilliant people that are setting in all these little community they could get together and really make a difference. That's what we want to do. We want to get this over and get on with our lives and all I see is just a winding down and in a slow stop to everything that's happening. And if it goes on very long, they're going to be so many businesses that never come back. They're going to be so many displaced people that, that the fallout will be worse than this disease.

Sally Hendrick (16:07):

so what is your hope, your biggest hope right now?

Kenneth Burk (16:13):

My biggest hope is the governors had been tasked with leading this crisis state by state. I would hope they would get the right people from industry and look at what's happening to your state and try to figure out what we can do to help get through this quicker. So everyone comes out the other side alive. And so everyone comes out the other side with a business that's still intact and we shake this off

Kenneth Burk (16:50):

and a year from now we have a one year celebration and how we whip this thing and everyone made it through.

Sally Hendrick (16:56):

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

Kenneth Burk (16:58):

Right. If they don't fix this and 60 days, my fear is the country will collapse and we're looking at the 1990 USSR situation. There's only one chance to fix this. It's that bad.

Sally Hendrick (17:16):

Yeah. Thank you. Your perspective really, really helps. And I look forward to putting this together and getting it out there.

Kenneth Burk (17:27):

Right. But just anecdotally, anecdotally, I was a teacher for 15 years and worked with emotionally disturbed teenagers. And when you work in mental health, if you can't sense what's going on, when you get out of your car, people's to be in danger. And so you develop this sense to kind of pick up on the angst and the stress that's going on around you. And I went through the crisis in 2009, 2008, 2009 spent 99 weeks unemployed before I found a job. And I'm telling you, I feel more stress from people than I've ever felt before. It's very, very serious what's happening. And it's, it's not just the Corona virus. That's a problem. The problem is this whole economy can collapse and we're looking at something far worse than 2008 and 2009 we're talking probably worse than the great depression. And, and I hate to think what the toll of toll would be on him in life if that happened. We're already seeing governors try to close their borders to other States. They haven't seen that since the civil war. People better wake up before it's too late.

Sally Hendrick (19:03):

Yeah, they should. They need to. Well, thank you. Is there anything else you want to share with me before we hang up?

Kenneth Burk (19:12):

Uh, no. I think that's all I've got right now. But if you hear of anybody who has any materials and needs us to make anything, I've got people aching to work. I've cut everyone down to 30 hours right now. I'm trying to keep them, pay their benefits for them. I don't want anyone to be uninsured during this, I don't want to cut anybody below full time because I'm afraid if I have to lay him off, that could affect their unemployment. And there's some grants that, some loans that become grants where I could keep everybody employed. We can clean, mop, sweep, we could do things that'd be productive. Uh, we can, there's things I can do. If I can keep everybody here. I just don't want to dislocate my really super great employees that I love and, and they're my family. I spend more time with them than I do my family. We worked in hour shifts. I'm here with them every day.

Sally Hendrick (20:03):

Well, thank you. Thank you very much. Send love to all of your employees and everybody where you are  and we'll get this out there.

Kenneth Burk (20:15):

We're going to survive. I don't have much debt here, but I, so when this all shakes out, please come see us.

Sally Hendrick (20:24):

Okay. We will.

Kenneth Burk (20:26)

I'll give you, I'll give you a tour.

Sally Hendrick (20:28):

Okay. Sounds good.

Kenneth Burk (20:29)

All right. Thank you.

Sally Hendrick (20:31):

Thank you.