The Matheny Motor Truck Company has always been involved with community outreach. Still, the current COVID-19 pandemic has made it especially important to keep employees and customers safe. A large part of that involves good communication.

Monica Matheny, who is in charge of community outreach for the Matheny Truck Group, said, “Mike and Tim’s attitude from the beginning was for us to do whatever it takes. We invested tens of thousands of dollars immediately. If Mike or anyone else heard that someone needed something, we provided it. If we heard about someone dealing with a hardship, we did our best to help. Plexiglas barriers went up immediately, and we were doing contactless delivery before it became a thing. We offered door-to-door service, and we protected our people as if they were first responders. When customers realized how hard we were trying to get pandemic supplies, they brought the supplies to us.” She shared the following examples:

• One customer knew that Matheny Motors was wiping every car for every customer, and dropped by with a case of disinfectant wipes.
• Another customer donated a batch of face shields.
• At the Charleston location, a restaurant dropped off pizzas.

At the start of the school year, Matheny Motors outfitted the teacher’s lounge at a local elementary school. They stocked the room with an ample supply of hand sanitizers and supplies to take a little pressure off the teachers so they wouldn’t have to buy the supplies themselves or worry about having enough. Matheny Motors also offers free service and car washes for first responders in the community. Since one customer makes potato chips, Matheny Motors donated some of the customer’s chips to a hospital. Monica found out there was a nitrile glove shortage, and she made sure Matheny Motors donated what they had in stock.

Matheny Motors has two different clienteles: commercial truck stores and auto stores. It has been classified as an essential business because of what it sells. Although the employees are not doctors or nurses, they sell fire trucks and ambulances, fix the trucks that deliver supplies to hospitals, and sell other trucks that carry goods all over America.

Matheny Motors has taken care of its 350 employees and their families. If someone needed to be home, co-workers would drop off work and then pick it up again later so that the person at home didn’t have to leave the house. “We just cared for each other,” said Monica. “I’m proud of the employees in all 12 of the communities where we are located. They didn’t tell me everything they did, but I know they did a good job taking care of each other without being prompted or asked.”

Finally, Matheny Motors has been handing out two-ounce bottles of hand sanitizers to its truck stores and auto dealership customers. “From a marketing aspect, you can give away hats and koozies and mugs and all of these things,” said Monica. “The hand sanitizers are our ‘thank you’ for supporting us and stay safe. We will give them out until they are gone.