In March of 2020, The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19_ a global pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures worldwide. The Company complied with executive orders issued in Ohio and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding safety procedures. These procedures included, but were not limited to wearing masks, social distancing, staggering start times, remote working, and teleconferencing versus in person meetings. During this period we maintained regular contact, via phone and other electronic means, with our customers and suppliers.
SCI Entered into an unsecured promissory note in April 2020 pursuant to the US Government Paycheck Protection Program. This program helped ensure that no employee was laid of or received a pay cut due to business disruptions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Company’s Forgiveness Application was approved in full in January 2021.
Despite this disruption, the Company pursued additional niche markets which could leverage its expertise in custom powder solutions such as near infrared doped phosphors and short wave infrared applications for uses in the Defense industry. These applications enable extended life of phosphors for specific nighttime identification needs of military personnel and first responders.
The manufacture of products through diffusion bonding was also initated in 2020.