The July 19th tornado that destroyed two of Vermeer’s seven manufacturing plants and took a heavy swipe at a third is now giving the company a unique opportunity to reset.
This opportunity would have had an entirely different tone if there had been any loss of life or significant injuries that day. Adding to the complexity: the roughly 280 customers and dealers who were still on site after celebrating the company’s 70th anniversary earlier in the day.
“The performance of our safety team during the tornado was phenomenal,” says Jason Andringa, Vermeer president and CEO, speaking at a press briefing last week. “The fact that we had no fatalities or significant injuries is without a doubt the greatest blessing that came out of the tornado. As long as we’ve got our people, we have everything we need to rebuild.”
“Not only are we in recovery mode but we’re already making decisions on how we’re going to come back better and stronger than before,” adds Doug Hundt, president, industrial solutions for Vermeer.
And a month after the storm, the two say the company even exceeded last year’s August sales volume.
Cleanup began immediately. Red zones – which required PPE, safety training and approved access – were established around the affected areas. Cars, some pancaked on top of each other, were sorted for insurance purposes. Central receiving operations moved immediately to the company’s Global Pavilion demonstration area, space usually reserved for customer events.
