Brittany Lee Culbreth, president of Emerald C’s Development Inc., said the company remains positive.
“By the grace of God, we have been very blessed and we have received contracts even in the downturn,” Culbreth said April 1.
“We are staying hopeful and staying optimistic but also very cautious with the health and safety of our employees.”
Culbreth and her husband, Jesse Culbreth, started Emerald C’s in 2010 during the Great Recession.
“So while we experienced the last recession as employees and a startup, this is uncharted waters for us and we will do the best we can in the interest of Emerald C’s and our employees.”
Culbreth said Emerald C’s remains “focused on the task at hand and working diligently to complete our contracts while keeping our employees in a safe working environment.”
She said a few small projects have been put on hold for a few weeks.
In addition to its current projects, the company is moving ahead with health care-related jobs.
“We are continuing to work while it is safe to do so and while we are able to do so,” she said.
“These are unprecedented times and we are working with optimism and hope for a quick recovery.”
“However, if the city stops inspections, then the work will come to a stop and that is beyond our control.”
The city of Jacksonville has not announced a stop in inspections.
Emerald C’s is monitoring changes in municipal orders as local governments interpret the governor’s Executive Order differently as it relates to allowable construction-related activities.
Emerald C’s is ensuring social distancing is in force on job sites.
“Due to the nature of work that we perform, we are staffed with an adequate amount of workers in an environment with enough space to distance by 6 feet or more and we’ve requested our guys to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their coworkers safe as well,” Culbreth said.
With no prediction on when the pandemic will end, Culbreth said the company is taking it day by day.
“We are taking each day as it comes and doing the best we can, while we can, for as long as we can,” she said.,
“Many of the decisions that we make will be in response to the government mandates and future discoveries with this pandemic.”