VALLEY MILLS, Texas — "When GM was on strike, it took us about six months to get a single door," said April Arnold, Office Manager for Bill's Body Shop.
Arnold says the shop has experienced highs and lows with supply chain issues — especially during the pandemic. She says it can still a factor at times, even after COVID.
“It's a little rough for us, waiting that six months because normally when we get apart, it takes a day — I order it it's here either that day or the very next day," Arnold said.
One Baylor University professor shared with 25 News what could cause supply chain issues.
“There's just not enough capacity to process the products through, so even if you even if you had all the materials, you don't have the people resources to fulfill and get it down the pipeline," said Pedro Reyes, PH.D Associate Professor at Baylor University.
Here's an example of the hurdles the body shop had been facing before.
“We ordered it in April and it came in January and the customer had to be without a vehicle that entire time," Arnold said.
But her work didn’t stop there.
“I have to call and notify the insurance company about the rental and then I have to call the rental company, and then I'm looking everywhere for door you know used or not," Arnold said.
"That's going to come any sooner than six months."
Waco economist and owner of The Perryman Group, Ray Perryman, says the impact from these slowdowns are felt throughout the community.
“It affects their revenue, it affects their bottom line, if affects their ability to serve their customers the way that they want to," It has ripple effects that impacts the economy that sometimes causes another supply chain issue," Perryman said.
Reyes adds that many of us may think COVID is a thing of the past — but its presence and impact still lingers.
“The current incidents in Baltimore, where that that's where the biggest port of entry is on that side and on the Eastern Front, eastern coastline," Reyes said.
"Though that that alone is going to be a very disruptive to our supply chain."
