Whether you like the word or not — or are just tired of hearing it used — a lot of stories about business during the COVID-19 pandemic have been about a company's ability to "pivot."
That flexibility could refer to offering some new product, such as packaging companies making face shields, or to managers filling in on production lines when they couldn't find enough workers (or wanted to give workers some well-deserved time off). Those stories of pivots aren't about to slow down.
Consider Sarah Kominek's story on Microbrush International. The company in Grafton, Wis., has specialized in making small swabs for the dental industry. Its swabs are typically used to apply adhesives to the tooth when a dentist is filling a cavity.
But with sales for at-home COVID tests growing, Microbrush has, well, pivoted to begin making the swabs for those tests. It worked with Procter & Gamble's Imflux to adapt its manufacturing line and also brought sterile packaging operations in-house.
The company is now spending $20 million to expand for those medical tests and expects the same home-based ... pivot ... by medical experts for telehealth will provide more opportunities going forward.