Delays and other woes that have ground the country’s supply chain nearly to a halt, are also affecting Boulder County small businesses and local governments. Everything from bad weather, workers quitting jobs and a national shutdown of manufacturing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic are all to blame for shortages, according to Business Insider.
Delays in getting products out of major ports and higher shipping costs are also causing companies to push delivery dates back months, Business Insider stated.
Herb McCarty, branch manager of Hillcrest Glass, said supply problems are causing delivery delays of six to eight weeks to get his company’s products into customer homes. “I’ve never seen such a huge backlog,” McCarty said.
Hillcrest Glass has been open in downtown Longmont since 1969. The business offers glass shower enclosures, glass repair service, custom cut glass and mirrors and glass railings.
But customers have had to put some projects on hold because of delays in getting materials, McCarty said.
“We’re getting caught up in material shortages … and no one seems to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Some mechanical parts are especially hard to get these days, said Charles Patterson, owner of Steve’s Automotive in Longmont. “Brake rotors, for whatever reason, we can’t get brake rotors,” Patterson said.
Certain tires that also used to be readily available are now harder to get, he said. However, the business can depend on local suppliers for most of its parts. “I can walk down the street and get what I want,” Patterson said.
Car prices have also skyrocketed which has helped business since more customers are looking to hold onto their vehicles, Patterson said. “People are saying ‘I can’t afford to buy a car now, so let’s fix up what I have now,” he said.
Classic Gold Jewelers in downtown Longmont dealt with a battery shortage for about two months, owner Ted Willis said. “All of the people who made watch batteries were suddenly out of watch batteries. It was the strangest thing,” Willis said.
Boulder County Administrator Jana Petersen said supply chain woes have not forced major delays in projects. But lead times for building materials have grown, especially for anything that requires steel. That can include steel-reinforced culverts, manholes and rebar used in walls and other concrete structures, Petersen said via email.
The county’s building services division is seeing delays for materials like acoustic panels, carpet and other things made of steel, she said.
“No projects have been shelved, they’ve just taken longer,” Petersen said. Road crews have also looked ahead at what they’ll need so supplies are ready when the county mobilizes for a project, she said.
There are significant delays in getting new vehicles and parts for equipment and vehicle equipment, Petersen said. New cars, trucks, and other heavy equipment are now taking six to eight months longer than the county is used to, she said.
Vehicle prices have also jumped as much as 10%, especially if it comes from overseas, Petersen said.
Specialized equipment tires have been unavailable for more than six months, she said. “Fortunately, our fleet services team does a good job of keeping a decent stock of parts, like tires, so we have been able to keep working,” Petersen said. “The problem is getting them restocked before we need replacements again.”
St. Vrain Valley School District spokeswoman Kerri McDermid said the district has “experienced some impacts due to supply chain disruptions.”
“However, strong project management and thoughtful strategic planning has kept projects on track and district operations moving forward,” McDermid said.
