QUALA had 10 Texas facilities and over 300 team members that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey, in various ways, according to Terry O’Brien, Quala president. Most facilities experienced limited downtime, due primarily to the dedicated team members, at the various locations, that attended to the facilities in the wake of the hurricane and flooding.
One facility, located on the north side of Houston, on Old Beaumont Highway, was off-line for a couple of weeks, due to flooding. The facility was expected to be back on-line before the end of September.
“More importantly, our 300 plus team members are all accounted for, and in various stages of recovery,” O’Brien said. “This included approximately 5% of the workforce that experienced significant losses, including housing and transportation, as a result of the hurricane and flooding.”
A Go Fund Me collection was initiated by Quala employees, to assist those in need, and will be matched by Quala.
Looking ahead, O’Brien pointed out that Quala has a number of facilities and team members that will likely be impacted by Hurricane Irma, including coastal locations in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
The company has initiated its Hurricane Preparedness Plan, which calls for an orderly shutdown of these facilities, well ahead of the storm, to ensure the safety of all team members and their families. Quala has taken proactive steps, including the leasing of portable generators, to limit the potential downtime, and “to respond our customers who depend on us,” once the storm has gone.
