Despite Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana-based company keeps its worldwide manufacturing customers operational.
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JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA, September 27, 2005 - In an emergency, many of
the world's largest manufacturing companies depend on Intralox to keep
their conveyor systems operational. After hurricane Katrina made landfall
on August 29, 2005, it was Intralox that found itself in a difficult
situation. With its almost 1,000 Louisiana-based employees scattered around
the country and the condition of its facilities unknown, the company worked
with local officials, with technology, and with perseverance to get back to
business as usual.
Intralox is the largest supplier of modular plastic conveyor belts
worldwide and ships an estimated 230 orders a day out of its headquarters
in Louisiana. Many of these orders are four hour and same day shipments to
customers who can lose thousands of dollars a day as a result of delays in
order processing and shipping. Because of this, continuing to service
customers has been a top priority for the company - second only to locating
and determining the safety of its employees affected by the storm.
"We placed a very substantial order just prior to Katrina and needed our
shipment quickly." said Jill Batka, General Manager, Dynamic Conveyor
Corporation. "I did get a bit nervous a time or two during the first week,
but when it came to crunch time Intralox came through for us. I am amazed
at what their personnel have been able to accomplish in less than 3 weeks
and under these circumstances."
Intralox originally projected that its recovery from hurricane Katrina
would take until October 15, 2005. Intralox announced to its customers on
September 16, 2005, that it now has the capacity to handle global
pre-Katrina demand - one month ahead of schedule. "This progress is due to
our customers' resourcefulness and willingness to work closely with us
during a difficult period. It is also due to the heroic efforts of so many
of our employees who have worked around the clock to restore our US
operations." said Edel Blanks, Intralox General Manager.
Despite the destruction in the New Orleans area, Intralox's facilities
remained dry and undamaged - including the 3-6 month supply of 50 million
unassembled parts. This is largely because of the company's location in
Harahan, Louisiana which benefits from one of the highest elevations in the
New Orleans area. Although the campus was spared, widespread damage in
surrounding areas meant Intralox was not able to return to normal US
operations. With power, telephone and data systems down, and almost 1,000
local jobs to save, Intralox worked closely with Jefferson Parish officials
and utility companies such as Cox Communications to return services to the
campus.
More importantly, Intralox focused on locating its employees. Within 3 days
of their activation, the company's emergency 1-800 number and blog site had
recorded the locations of 50% of its Louisiana-based employees. Intralox
made a commitment to these employees to save their jobs and continue
payroll through September. The company also offered financial assistance to
employees with immediate needs.
"The best way to help our employees' recovery was to make sure they had
jobs to which to return." said Bruce Johnston, Human Resources Director.
Within 48 hours after the storm made landfall, Intralox's European
Headquarters in The Netherlands and the UK were servicing the company's
worldwide customer base including North America and South America which are
normally serviced out of the US. This meant adding supplementary assembly
and customer service shifts in Europe. In Australia, Brazil and Japan,
employees at Intralox's assembly centers began taking orders and providing
technical support for customers. Intralox was also able to create offsite
customer service centers in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. Baton Rouge also became home to a fully functional data center
just one week after the storm.
To continue to service their customers, Intralox employees worldwide
pitched in to fill the void left by the reduction of resources in
Louisiana. This meant that many employees were working double shifts in
areas outside of their normal duties. For example, Danielle Hagers,
Commercial Project Manager, found herself answering incoming calls and
taking orders in the Amsterdam Customer Service department. In the US,
Kevin Guernsey, Lead New Product Engineer, took a shift on the assembly
line once power was restored to the facility on September 7, 2005.
Largely due to many such efforts by its employees, Intralox is confident in
its long-term health and ability to service its customers worldwide. "It
was amazing how so many people rose to the occasion. Many had lost their
homes yet they were working incredibly long hours to help our customers.
It's hard not to be emotional about it," said Blanks. "Although we are
hopeful that the company, its employees, and the city are never in this
kind of situation again, Intralox will come out of this in a better
position to provide superior service to our customers regardless of what
emergency we may find ourselves in."
About Intralox
Intralox is a global manufacturer specializing in Modular Plastic Conveyor
Belts that enable companies worldwide to increase conveyor productivity,
decrease production costs and minimize downtime in their plants. Intralox
services some of the world's largest manufacturers in the following
industries: automotive, baking, beverage, container, corrugated, fruit,
vegetable, material handling, meat, poultry, seafood, tire, warehouse
distribution, and many others.
Intralox's parent company, Laitram, LLC, also operates Lapeyre Stair, which
manufactures alternating tread and conventional stairs; and Laitram
Machinery, which manufactures shrimp peeling machines; from its Harahan,
Louisiana campus in Jefferson Parish.
