As the SouthCoast begins the second week of Phase 1 to our reopening, we see barbers and hair salons opening, as well as retail stores able to conduct curbside pickup business.  The SouthCoast is slowly beginning the process of reopening for business.

As our lives and commerce inch back to a return to normal, each morning with Michael and Maddie, we'll spotlight a SouthCoast business leader who is fighting to continue to grow even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, we spoke with Joe Pires, partner and president of Pioneer Basement and Sump Pump Geeks. Joe admitted that when the coronavirus first arrived in New England, it was very frightening because they didn't know what was going to happen, they didn't understand the guidelines, and there was a lot of uncertainty for their business.

"Because our sales were down 75% for three weeks, we had to adapt as fast as we could, figuring out how to operate within the guidelines and keep our employees and customers safe," Pires said.

The first thing Sump Pump Geeks did was train their staff to conduct remote, virtual estimates and outfitting their employees with personal protective gear.

Pires told us that a couple of key things happened that made all of the difference in the world for their company. First, they were lucky enough to be categorized as an essential business. Second, it seems that people were spending more and more time in their homes and finally had the time to address things that had been bothering them (like sump pumps that weren't working to their satisfaction).

To handle the rush of work, Sump Pump Geeks and Pioneer Basement are actively hiring service people and office help.

If you would like to promote how your business is handling the pandemic, please email Michael Rock at Rock@Fun107.com for more information or fill out this form.

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