GREAT FALLS — Supply chains issues continue to negatively impact consumers and businesses across the nation. As we are two weeks into 2022, some businesses in Great Falls fear another shutdown as shipping and production continue to be a major issue.
Broom & Brush is one of many that face challenges in receiving their products.
Dennis Fowler, sales and marketing manager, said, "It's really impacting our business. Coffee cups are really hard to get. They're like eight, fifteen weeks out, and we release dish machines, and that has also been a problem. They make the dish machines in America, but the motors come from China, so there out there on a ship somewhere"
Advanced Litho Printing has experienced their fair share of issues as well.
Sales and marketing representative Terry Cady said, "here's really been no aspect that hasn't been affected by it, either it'd be for paper stock, ink, boxes, you name it. It's been rather difficult to try to get some of these items."
As supply chain issues continue, so does the level of concern.
Cady said, "We're actually really scared that hopefully there's not a complete shutdown again. Really the major thing that's in our mind is just being able to get paper. That's our main lifeline is paper. That's what we print on, so not getting that, that being stuck on ships, really has been in the back of our mind for the upcoming year or two years, or how long it takes, so hopefully things tend to get figured out."
Despite the struggle, patience and optimism is key to success.
Fowler noted, "We're very flexible when we have to be, and I think everybody starts to get it now that we just don't have everything that they want right now, so we have to do a lot of substitutes."
