LYNCHBURG, Va. – Cellphones are something most of us use every day.
For PhoneAxiom Express Device Repair it means the company needs a steady supply of parts for repairs.
With the coronavirus, that’s now easier said than done.
“We’re not able to get everything right now," PhoneAxiom Express Device Repair CEO Mark Pauley said.
There are not any companies in the US making the parts the company needs, so for Pauley, China is his only option.
Luckily, he purchased a lot of parts before the virus became widespread.
“I would say a couple of months. We’re kind of cutting it close," Pauley said when asked how long he’s stocked up for. "I’ve got some relationships with factories in China. They’re going to be reopening tentatively on the 10th of March.”
Virginia Tech professor Dr. Barbara Hoopes published an article earlier this month discussing the cornoavirus’s potential global impact.
She expects the virus to cause what she calls an intense, short-term disruption in the supply chain.
“You might see slowdowns to auto production, for example. So let’s say you’ve just ordered a new car. It might take a little bit longer to get to you than it ordinarily would," Hoopes explained. "There might be temporary price increases, yes. Things like that are always very normal in the case of supply chain disruption.”
The economy could take months to recover, but she says this is not a crisis.
“It’s not going to, in the long run, affect our reliance and interconnectedness with China," said Hoopes.
Good news for companies like PhoneAxiom Express Device Repair at a time when the news about the virus may seem anything but.