On behalf of the men and women of Piedmont, I want to say thank you to our customers for entrusting us with your business and, more importantly, your professional friends and colleagues at our buildings.  The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our daily lives and communities, creating new challenges that were unimaginable just a few months ago.   Even more difficult to fully comprehend is the suffering that many have endured, and our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families whose lives have been forever changed.

Over the past few months, Piedmont and our vendors have worked tirelessly to ensure our buildings remain open for business and serve the needs of our customers, many of whom are essential businesses or government agencies that have continued to operate unabated.   We salute these dedicated organizations along with the many first responders, health care professionals and community non-profits who continue to serve during this crisis.  We welcome you to visit our website at https://www.piedmontreit.com/about/corporate-responsibility-and-charitable-giving-program/ to see our efforts to donate over $40,000, raised through employee fundraising and Piedmont related foundations, for non-profits in need.

Like many of our tenants, we have been working with reduced onsite staff as our personnel followed shelter-in-place orders issued by state authorities.  We have taken this period of decreased building population to enhance the health safety at our properties, adding more touchless fixtures, redesigning common areas to limit social gathering, heightening cleaning protocols consistent with the CDC guidance for cleaning and disinfecting workplaces, and preparing security and health guideline signage.  Rest assured, our property managers are working hand in hand with our COVID-19 Strategic Committee to develop and share these practices across our 18 million square feet.  However, the greatest step we can all take to protect ourselves and colleagues is to communicate and collaborate as we return to the workplace.  It will take a commitment from everyone inside our buildings to being cooperative and nimble as we navigate effective solutions for this changing environment.

The Piedmont team has been working alongside other commercial real estate leaders to prepare for governing state agencies to reduce and eventually remove shelter-in-place orders.  In our Returning to the Workplace Tenant Guide, we outline how Piedmont is coordinating with tenants and contractors to enact new operational procedures, cleaning standards and health protocols at our buildings to protect the safety and wellbeing of those working onsite.   We are committed to adapting our business and engineering solutions to meet our customers’ challenges in a reliable and safe manner.

While our routines have been altered, our commitment to providing your company a safe and productive working environment has not wavered.  Please partner with me in protecting the greatest asset of our businesses, our people.

Sincerely,

Brent Smith

President & Chief Executive Officer