Business View Magazine | December 2020

100 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 considering we are termed as essential services,” explains Windham. “And we are completely debt- free. Because we had a good year last year, our cash reserves have grown, which has allowed us to maintain operations this year in the midst of all that’s happening.” The company’s service charter –“Storage Tanks from Start to Finish”– is demonstrated in the ambitious projects the company has undertaken over its 70-plus years. While their focus is on designing and building tanks, the pandemic has occasioned a shift in strategy to focus more on tank repairs. Windham reports, “Although our clients may not want to invest in new tanks considering the current economic environment, they must repair their tanks to stay within their industry regulations. We are well equipped to support this kind of work and well positioned to help our customers keep their tanks in service and in compliance.” Alongside this shift in focus (although the company is still open to design and build projects), serving a broad target market with a specialized service is also helping the company weather the current crisis. “While larger companies have multiple units that serve different needs in various industries,” says Windham, “our competitive advantage is that we can build complex tanks anywhere. For instance, we have a client in Houston, Texas, that requires a complex build. Although there are many tank builders in the area, we got the job because of our ability to handle complicated jobs very well.” Every industry is experiencing a shortage of welders, but as a union-affiliated company, Fisher Tank has had the benefit of acquiring most of their field force through the union. On a related front, the firm has had to address some workforce challenges occasioned by the pandemic, primarily affecting its office staff. Windham acknowledges, “As a family-oriented company, we’ve had to support our employees while they work from home, since some do not have childcare at this time. A shortage of human