COVID-19: Darby Wire Mesh Updates

Today is Tuesday, May 12.

11:43am: As an essential and life-sustaining business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edward J. Darby & Son, Inc. continues to operate. We are here to support all types of customers – small machine shops, large corporations, the medical community, and other industrial users. We are dedicated to serving all customers as best as we can during this unpredictable and unprecedented time.

Be sure to contact us through email or phone with your wire mesh requirements. We also allow customers to purchase certain items directly from our website. These items are used by homeowners, iron workers, gardeners, farmers, and hobbyists of all kinds. The link to product offerings, pricing and shipping costs can be found here:

Fireplace Screen – Plain Steel / Copper / Brass / Bronze / Stainless Steel

Galvanized Hardware Cloth

Brass & Bronze Diamond Mesh

Today is Wednesday, April 29.

1:03pm: Yesterday, April 28 was a special day in the Philadelphia region, and we thought we would share what occurred yesterday with our website visitors. During this pandemic, we have seen heroes who risk their lives in battling this virus on the front lines, and yesterday the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds honored these individuals with a flyover in the Philadelphia area.

The entire staff at Darby climbed onto the roof to witness and to show their gratitude to all of these heroes. We thank you.

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer, April 28, 2020

Today is Wednesday, April 22.

12:49pm: Things remain busy here at Darby, and it’s still all hands on deck as we continue to work through a challenging time. Please be sure to continue to check back here for the latest updates.

Orders that normally ship in 1-2 days are running 2-3 days to ship. Fabricated parts and multiple cut to size pieces are still running at least 2 weeks. Please be sure to contact us with specific questions. Custom weaving and welding jobs are relatively on schedule, provided our wire drawers and other vendors are on time.

Samples for non-life sustaining businesses are still on hold at the present time. We are able to process sample request/orders for business entities in the medical, pharmaceutical, construction, and infrastructure-related industries. For private individuals looking for samples,  we hope that we can begin to service these customers in the coming days/weeks, as the environment allows. Keep in mind that Darby offers one of the lowest minimum orders in the industry.

Be sure to contact us with any questions you may have. Please continue to be safe.

Today is Thursday, April 16.

10:28am: It’s been about a week since our last update, and, frankly, it’s because we’ve been busy here at Darby. With reduced office and shop staff (and hours), it’s all hands on deck as we navigate through this challenging time. To that end, we genuinely appreciate your support and understanding during this time. Orders are still running a bit behind. Whereas, we normally can ship orders same or next day, we are now shipping orders in 2-4 days. Fabricated parts and multiple cut to size pieces can run approximately 2 weeks. Custom weaving and welding jobs are relatively on schedule, provided our wire drawers and other vendors are on time.

Samples for non-life sustaining businesses are still on hold at the present time. We are able to process sample request/orders for business entities in the medical, pharmaceutical, construction, and infrastructure-related industries. For private individuals looking for samples, please revisit this page for updates; we hope that we can begin to service these customers in the coming days/weeks, as the environment allows. Thank you.

Be sure to contact us with any questions you may have. Please continue to be safe.

Today is Wednesday, April 8.

2:32pm: It is mostly business as usual here at Darby. Please contact us with your wire mesh requirements. As a note, we will be closed on Friday, April 10th for the holiday, but we are planning to reopen on Monday, April 13. Please feel free to contact and email us with any questions you may have. See the highlighted sentences below for more information.

Today is Tuesday, April 7.

2:05pm: Another day here at Darby, and we’re all working hard to make sure thing are running as normal and as efficient as possible. We are still prioritizing out-going orders, and our guys are working hard to fabricate and ship as many orders as we can daily. This remains an ever-changing situation, so, of course, we appreciate your understanding during this time. Standard stock items are shipping a few days after your order is placed. Custom production on certain items are running a few days later than originally stated, namely due to shipping delays for wire and slower than normal production due to a short-staff. Be sure to contact us with any specific questions.

Sample requests/orders are still suspended, but we are starting to relax this to directly assist those business entities in the health and medical field. For non-life sustaining sample requests and orders, we hope to revisit general sample requests/orders next week.  Be sure to stay in touch. Please continue to be safe and reach out to us with any wire mesh requirement you may have. Also, because of the holiday this weekend (Darby will be closed on Friday April 10) and the variables due to COVID-19, we ask that you not delay in finalizing any pending orders. Thank you.

Today is Friday, April 3.

11:37am: Wanted to wish all of our customers and website visitors a safe and healthy weekend. It’s been quite a week for everyone everywhere, and we are proud that we have made it through another week. While we don’t know what the next few days and weeks hold, we’re committed to doing the necessary things to defeat this virus. We are also dedicated to supplying our customers – particularly those in life-sustaining industries – with what they need as quickly as we can.

Be safe this weekend and be sure to connect with us next week. Should anything pressing occur this weekend, please reach out to us via email.

Today is Thursday, April 2.

12:02pm: We would like to use this opportunity to let everyone know how hard our shop team is working to fulfill jobs right now. They are working harder and faster and doing everything possible to get orders at the door as quickly as possible. Everyone at Darby is inspired by their efforts, and we appreciate your understanding right now.

Today is Wednesday, April 1.

10:38am: It’s mostly business as usual at Darby right now. We still have our small and dedicated crew in house, working hard to satisfy all wire mesh requirements. We have continued our discussion with local logistic companies, and they are committed to making pick ups and deliveries.

We are still in a fluid situation, of course, taking it day by day. We are currently running a few days to ship in-stock items. We appreciate your support, and rest assured, we are doing everything we can to meet your requirements. Please contact us with any questions you have.

Today is Monday, March 30.

1:25pm: President Trump extended social distancing guidelines until April 30. As an essential and life-sustaining business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Darby will continue to operate as best as we can and as the environment allows. We have been and are continuing to conduct business as usual.

We are still practicing social distancing and disinfecting key areas of our facility as often as possible. We are encouraging any employee who feels ill to stay home. We have also suspended any non-essential visits to our facility and will not be accepting walk-in customers.

We are still prioritizing outgoing orders, and our team is eager to help our customers, big and small, during this uncertain time. We’re starting to see an increased demand in certain items and current supply levels are starting to dip a bit. Please be sure to contact us with your requirements. Be safe!!

Today is Thursday, March 26.

9:39am: Business almost as usual for Darby as Coronavirus continues. We are working hard to meet the requirements of our varied customer base. Please contact us directly, via email or phone, to discuss your requirements.

Today is Wednesday, March 25.

10:43am: Another day, and we’re pushing hard to get important orders out of the door. Our entire crew has been working hard to fulfill as many orders as possible. The good news is that lead times for stock items are now back to a few days to ship. Custom manufactured items are still on schedule, with some of the tougher, more complicated specifications, taking a few days longer than expected. We’ll continue to monitor things and keep you in the loop. If you currently have an order in house, please contact your salesperson and request a status update.

We continue to be impressed by our shipping partners, namely UPS and the various motor freight carriers we use. We’re continuing to use CDC recommended protocols. We thank them for their dedication and efforts during this time!

Today is Tuesday, March 24.

11:40am: During this unprecedented time, we are using this platform to provide daily updates to our customers, suppliers, communities, and friends. We genuinely appreciate your support during this difficult time.

We are still operating, while maintaining social distancing and practicing CDC recommended procedures. It’s been a challenge, no doubt, but in our own small way, it’s our responsibility to continue to serve our customers. As an example, our wire mesh discs are used to assemble MRI machines throughout the United States. Failure to supply our product will jeopardize our customer’s ability to produce these machines. There are countless other examples that we hope to share with you over the coming days and weeks.

Finally, we would like to thank all of our customers, who have contacted us, asking what they can do to support us and make sure we continue to work. Your support during this difficult time makes the challenge worthwhile.  

Today is Monday, March 23.

12:39pm: Essential Business Compliance Statement:

Edward J. Darby & Son, Inc. is categorized as an essential business by the State of Pennsylvania under the updated Industry Operation Guidance as “Metal Wholesaler” in the Wholesale Trade sector. Darby is categorized as an essential business by the City of Philadelphia under the Mayor’s Order No. 2, section G.9, Essential Infrastructure and Industrial Business and Activities “Wholesale Trade”.

Darby supplies essential goods and parts to manufacturers in the Pharmaceutical, Defense, Construction, Food Processing, and Health and Hospital equipment industries.

Today is Friday, March 20.

11:52am: As many of you know, wire mesh is an extremely versatile industrial product used in countless industries and applications. We often say that wire mesh is used by NASA engineers and hog farmers and everyone in between. We are suppliers, both directly and indirectly, to life-sustaining businesses. As an example, we are diligently working with our copper wire mesh to satisfy an order used in an air filtration application in hospitals. The hypothesis of scientists, doctors, and medical experts is that these copper mesh filters limit the spread of COVID-19. To that end, we are still operating on a day to day schedule.

We are also doing our best to prioritize outgoing orders, based on industry served and perceived application. Often times, we do not know the exact use of our supplied wire mesh, but, given the circumstances, we’re trying to ascertain that information. The wellness of our employees and communities remain the utmost of importance.

And again, this is an extremely fluid situation, subject to change, day by day and hour by hour.

Today is Thursday, March 19.

3:33pm: Thank you for your support and patience during this volatile time. Currently, we are still operating, and we are asking our customers to be patient and understanding. Typically, we are able to ship stock items in a day or two. Given the situation, we are currently running up to one week to ship stock and readily available items. Custom manufactured items are still on schedule with lead times still relatively accurate. Should you have an order in house and will not be able accept the delivery, please let us know as soon as possible.

Again, this is a fluid situation and subject to change without notice.

Today is Wednesday, March 18. 

12:09pm: Darby remains hard at work servicing our customers and attempting to make the best out of a difficult and unpredictable situation. We are still working with a short-handed crew, and our team’s attitude remains determined.

At this time, we have decided to suspend all sample orders for the foreseeable future. We appreciate your support, and we will let you know when we can begin fulfilling samples.

9:12am: Darby recently received clarification from local and state governments that we are permitted to stay open as an essential business. We also learned that UPS and many motor freight carriers will continue to operate for the time being. We are actively working to continue business operations, and we’ll be updating things here throughout the day. More details to follow!

Today is Tuesday, March 17th. 

3:03pm: We are working as safely and as hard as possible with a skeletal crew at the moment. Our priorities remain our employees, our customers, and our community. We are working with our partners to minimize business interruptions and attempting to proactively address potential issues as soon as possible. If you are a current customer – and have an order in house or a pending order – please feel free to contact us via email at: [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions you may have. Be safe and we’ll speak soon!

1:27pm: Please continue to check this page for the latest updates as it relates to Darby’s operations. Thank you and be safe!