With 21 years of experience in the contingent staff augmentation space, Cathy Penrod is celebrating her fifth year with Menasha in December. “In partnership with many inside Menasha, we can scale our program in order to meet the organization’s demands,” she says. By mitigating risk, ensuring the right suppliers are on board, and basing accountability on scorecarding, the program keeps up with the ever-changing marketplace and sees great successes.

The recent marketplace upsets due to Covid-19 have added another challenge on top of an already fast-paced industry. “We’re in the middle of crazy times, and it’s been beyond challenging,” Penrod says. As the industry’s largest independent, retail-focused packaging and merchandising solutions provider, Menasha is considered essential. “So we haven’t stopped, but there’s no chance for remote work.” 

In order to attract and retain necessary talent, Menasha has worked hard to ensure the safety of its contractors. More of the onboarding process is done over the phone, and many suppliers have begun video interviewing and orientations. Onsite workers are temperature screened every day and encouraged to maintain social distancing.

Penrod aims to see the Menasha brand become synonymous with safety. “It’s our No. 1 initiative,” she says. “We’re a leader in that regard.” Considering the differences between the current atmosphere and last year’s low unemployment rates, Penrod adds, “2019 seems so long ago! But there are always opportunities — you just have to look at the big picture.”