MeadWestvaco Resumes Operations in Texas, La.
Big Businesses Donate for Katrina relief
U.S. Small Business Administration Stands Ready
To Assist Victims of Hurricane Rita
Katrina Updates
Hurricane Katrina Updates
Companies Continue Relief Efforts
Companies Offer to Help Hurricane Katrina Victims
South Florida Firms Take Katrina in Stride
Dennis Kicks Off Hurricane Season

MeadWestvaco Resumes Operations in Texas, La.
10/12/05
MeadWestvaco Corp. said its facilities in Texas and Louisiana resumed production after a temporary shutdown of approximately 10 days due to Hurricane Rita. These facilities include the company’s specialty chemicals plant in DeRidder, La., the paperboard mill in Evadale, Texas, and the extrusion coating facility in Silsbee, Texas. The company expects third quarter earnings to be affected negatively because of the production downtime and related hurricane costs.

Big Businesses Donate for Katrina relief   9/28/05
Fortune 500 companies with Dayton-area operations have donated more than $13.5 million to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, according to a report by Fortune Magazine. In total, Fortune 500 companies nationwide have donated at least $211 million. Click here to read the breakdown of the companies' donations.

U.S. Small Business Administration Stands Ready To Assist Victims of Hurricane Rita  9/25/05
WASHINGTON—Following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration in Texas and Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Rita, SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto issued the following statement:

"Our hearts go out to the victims of Hurricane Rita. The Small Business Administration is ready to assist those hurt by this powerful storm. As a result of President Bush's declaration of a federal disaster we will be swift in our efforts, right behind and in careful coordination with our partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to help people rebuild their lives. SBA officials will be in the affected cities and communities very soon to begin offering our assistance.

"SBA is mandated to provide low-cost financing to victims of disaster to help them rebuild, and we take that mandate very seriously. The SBA will have loan officers in every federal/state disaster recovery center that is opened. The agency is already committed to providing help to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and we're prepared to stay in the region as long as it takes to help those affected recover," Barreto said.

The SBA has more than 2,300 employees working to assist the survivors of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and is continuing to hire additional staff to respond to the anticipated demand for SBA loans. Last year after an unprecedented four hurricanes struck Florida and 13 other states last summer, the SBA approved more than $2.1 billion in disaster loans to about 64,500 residents and business owners in the disaster areas. SBA offers loans up to $200,000 to repair disaster damaged primary residences. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to replace personal property such as furniture and clothing. Loans to businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations are available up to $1.5 million to repair damage to real estate, machinery, equipment and inventory. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are also available to small businesses unable to pay bills or meet operating expenses. Congress is considering raising these loan limits.

Interest rates can be as low as 2.68 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based upon each applicant's financial condition. Residents and business owners in the affected areas can begin the disaster application process by first registering online with FEMA at www.fema.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free numbers will operate 24 hours daily until further notice. FEMA will then make loan referrals to the SBA. Details on the location of recovery centers and loan application deadlines will be provided as the information becomes available. For more information, call the SBA's customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., or visit the web site at www.sba.gov/disaster.

Katrina Updates  9/23/05
Printegra Corporation (Printegra, National Imprint Corporation and Synergy Label) and its employees held a nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. Printegra matched every dollar donated by its employees. The company raised more than $20,000 and donated it to the American Red Cross.

Bullet Line, which has offices in Miami, said in a press release that the company has not sustained any damages and will ship orders on schedule. The company opened for business Sept. 21.

OfficeMax Inc. is helping the Dayton-based School, Home and Office Products Association's Kids In Need Foundation to ship supplies to schools that are taking in students displaced by the hurricane. The company also is donating $50,000 to the foundation. School districts in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio will benefit from the program.

Hurricane Katrina Updates  9/16/05
The Jerome Group, St. Louis, hired Sarah Nixon to work in its lettershop. Nixon relocated to the area with her two children after their apartment in Pass Christian, Miss., was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. "My oldest boy walked to the front of the building...and there was several bodies laying on the ground," Nixon says. "He told me about it, so I explained to my youngest boy that he should look at the sky, the trees, to get his mind off the things we were getting ready to see."

The family lived for a week in a temporary shelter before Nixon's brother and sister, who live in the St. Louis area, retrieved them. "It was an elementary school, and a lot of people were in the halls, sleeping on boxes," Nixon says. "There were a lot of people fighting over pillows, blankets and shoes."

Another employee at Jerome referred Nixon to the company, and within a day, the company offered her the job. "Our goal was to give her a job and give her an opportunity," says Andy Kohn, president at The Jerome Group.

Ennis Inc. donated nearly 72,000 shirts to the Salvation Army's Corsicana, Texas-based distribution center. The shirts were shipped to Dallas from Ennis-owned Alstyle Apparel in Anaheim, Calif. Arnold Trucking, a Florida-based shipping company, donated the freight costs and delivered the shirts to the Salvation Army. The shirts were issued to displaced people in Dallas, Houston and the surrounding area.

Damage from Hurricane Katrina will likely hurt third- and fourth-quarter profits at International Paper, although the impact cannot be quantified yet, the company said in a regulatory filing. Its facilities sustained no direct damage from the storm, but production was curtailed at some mills because of chemical shortages, it said, adding that there was no direct damage to its forests, but fuel shortages and hiring of workers for rebuilding and emergency aid will impact logging and transportation.

Companies Continue Relief Efforts  9/9/05
More companies are coming forward to help victims of Hurricane Katrina as recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast continue.

Gail O'Roke, CDC, CEO of Independent Business Group (IBG), said, "At IBG, we are offering to match any Red Cross donations that our employees make. Perhaps the fastest way the DMIA can get money raised is to make this sort of suggestion to its members. Individually it doesn't sound like much, but if enough local efforts are made it could add up."

TST/Impreso Inc., which operates a water bottling plant in Mt. Ida, Ark., announced that it's sending bottled water to the affected areas. Companies interested in donating water can send their orders to the manufacturer. For details, contact Marshall Sorokwasz, CEO, at (972) 839-4237.

FormStore Incorporated and Response Builders said they were organizing their sales, administrative and manufacturing teams to assemble a large quantity of kits to send to victims in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas. Paul R. Edwards, CDC, president of FormStore Incorporated, sought input from DMIA members to create a list of names, email addresses and phone numbers of organizations, churches and agencies in the areas impacted by the hurricane evacuees. He also asked manufacturers and distributors if they could accept shipments of relief kits for redistribution. For details, call (800) 325-9583.

Specialized Office Systems Inc. said it would help distributors who need to service clients in Arizona. Call Bruce Goldberg, president, at (602) 485-0900. The Tully-Wihr Company, also offered assistance to companies to work with their clients on the West Coast. Call George W. Smith, CDC, vice president of sales and partner, at (800) 789-6594, ext. 1772.

Meanwhile, Champion Industries Inc. said Tuesday that its New Orleans printing plant is closed and it hasn't been able to determine the extent of damage to the facility, which is without power or communication capability. The company said its Baton Rouge printing and warehousing facility sustained some wind and water damage, but is fully functional and operating.

Office Depot announced that its cash and in-kind donations have topped $18 million. The Deluxe Corporation Foundation announced a $100,000 challenge match to encourage employees and retirees of Deluxe Corporation to contribute funds.

Companies Offer to Help Hurricane Katrina Victims  9/2/05
As the damage and devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina still unfolds, many printing companies have come forward to help its victims.

Formsystems Inc., a distributorship in Pensacola, Fla., sent Thursday water, fresh fruit, cookies and ice to manufacturing partner SEF Inc. , Mobile, Ala. “Mobile is crippled,” said Joe Webb, the company’s vice president. “There’s no power, no water and spotty cell phone service.” Justin Goss, a company sales rep traveled north 80 miles and then west 70 miles to avoid the Mobile tunnel, which only has one lane open due to leaks. The distance between Pensacola and Mobile is 55 miles. Goss found no one at the manufacturer, but distributed the supplies to Formsystems’ customers. Webb also plans to buy gas tanks in Florida to send to companies affected by the hurricane.

PrintXcel, a Quality Park Brand, said that it has launched a campaign where PrintXcel distributors can contribute to the American Red Cross when they place orders at any of the company’s facilities. PrintXcel will itemize the contributions on the distributor's invoice for future reference.

"Many of our employees had relatives who lived directly in the path of this storm and lost everything,” said Deanna Day, senior brand manager at PrintXcel, which was founded in 1949 in Fairhope, Ala. “Many of our customers have lost their homes and their businesses. It’s difficult to believe the destruction left behind and how it can ever be rebuilt. Hopefully, we can provide some assistance to them.” PrintXcel has several plants on the Gulf Coast. “While all locations came through this storm with no damage, they have all been impacted," Day said.

“For those of us who live here and are familiar with the area, the destruction is mesmerizing and horrific,” she said. “We have evacuees and refugees in all of our shelters. Our entire county in Alabama has been out of gas and the schools are closed indefinitely. In Mobile, which is just across the bay, people spent the night at gas stations to secure a place in line once gasoline is delivered. It’s expected that our school buses and schools will soon be housing many more of the now homeless. Right now the shelters are full with those trying to return to Mississippi or Louisiana to assess the damage.”

Brian Coats, CDC, account executive at Valmeyer, Ill-based manufacturer MAR Graphics, said, “if there are any companies that need any kind of help—business-related or personal—just let me know.” MAR Graphics was shut down in 1993 for a couple of weeks after the Mississippi River flooded the area. “We were able to fight it out,” he said. “These people have nothing to go back to.” The company had managed to remove prepress equipment and jobs that were ready from the offices before the floods. “There’s no way you can prepare for something like this,” he said.

Officials say the death toll from the hurricane is estimated to be in the hundreds. More than 2.3 million people are without power in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, which have suffered $25 billion damage. As much as 80 percent of New Orleans is under water.

Michael Cole, CEO of Metroform, a distributorship in Rancho Cardova, Calif., said DMIA and member companies could find out from the American Red Cross where they could deliver water. “The membership can contribute money,” he said. “As a group, we know how to get material to a destination on a rush basis. Put it all together and water gets delivered.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency already has issued guidelines on helping the victims.

Office Depot Inc. announced that it will contribute $1 million to the American Red Cross and encouraged other companies to make their own pledges to create a fund for assistance. The Deluxe Corporation Foundation also made a $50,000 contribution to the American Red Cross. Before the hurricane struck, Georgia-Pacific shipped sheathing-grade plywood--the material used to board up windows and doors--to the places in the storms’ projected path. The company also will provide post-storm repair needs.

While it’s been impossible to contact companies directly in the path of the hurricane, many firms in other parts of Louisiana resumed normal operations. Paul Ledford, CEO of Monroe, La.-based Peregrine Corporation, said Tuesday that employees at all the company’s four offices in Monroe, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Alexandria were safe. Monroe, located about 230 miles north of New Orleans, experienced some rain and wind.

Bonnie Boohaker, CEO of distributorship Innovative Business Products, Baton Rouge, said because the city, which is approximately 70 miles from New Orleans, lay west of the storm’s eye, it was spared its wrath. “There was lots of wind, rain and power cuts,” she said. The company backed up all computers and stored water, flashlights and batteries at its offices. “It’s a pretty solid building and we were prepared for employees to use it.” The company expected to resume normal operations Wednesday.

Alan Bratton, president and CEO of Dallas-based Global DocuGraphix, said that the company’s two plants in Shreveport and Baton Rouge weren’t directly impacted by the hurricane. “The main impact will be through our customers [who may have suffered damages],” he said.

[The link to the American Red Cross may not work due to heavy traffic. Some company links may not work because of servers affected by the hurricane.]

South Florida Firms Take Katrina in Stride  8/26/05
Manufacturers and distributors in southern Florida took precautions early Thursday as Katrina made landfall as a hurricane with nearly 80 mph winds last evening between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Harry Duncanson, vice president of Miami-based manufacturer Dynacolor Graphics Inc.®, characterized Katrina as "a big rainstorm" and didn't foresee production delays at his plant. "We know what hurricanes are all about," he said. "The building is very secure. It's been through many storms. The only thing that we might do tonight before we leave is to cover all the equipment with layers of plastic, just in case rain leaks."

Fort Lauderdale-based Suncoast Marketing Inc. lay directly in Katrina's projected path, but Randy Eubanks, account manager, also wasn't concerned. "Our biggest fear is water," he said. "And our facility is high and dry." The distributorship closed early on Thursday and will remain closed today. Employees covered computer equipment and racks in the warehouse with plastic. The company called or emailed customers, most of whom are local, to inform them that it wouldn't ship orders Friday. According to a CNN story, at least three people died in Broward County and more than 1.2 million customers were without power.

Dennis Kicks Off Hurricane Season  7/15/05
Haunted by memories of Hurricane Ivan's wrath last September, many companies took preventive steps to lessen the damage that Hurricane Dennis could have caused.

Dennis, with top winds of 145 mph, made landfall July 10 on the Florida Panhandle. Joe Webb, vice president of Formsystems Inc., a distributorship in Pensacola, Fla., which was directly in Dennis' path, said the staff spent July 7 and July 8 preparing for Dennis. Webb and his wife, Karen, the company's president, were away on a vacation. "They took down all the computers, wrapped them in heavy plastic, and boarded up the windows," Joe Webb said. The company made arrangements with customers for processing jobs in case the hurricane caused major problems. Dennis rolled in around 2:45 p.m. on July 10 and lasted for only more than an hour, he said. "The storm weakened and shifted east 10 miles, putting us in a better spot," Webb said. "Dennis was gone and we're so fortunate." The distributorship suffered a power outage and by Tuesday, the company was using a computer powered by a generator. The Webbs are in touch with customers through cell phones.

Dennis moved inland and became a tropical depression, dumping three to 10 inches of rain over Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Georgia. Charles Stickler, senior vice president of market strategy at manufacturer Quality Park, Denver, said the production staff at the Fairhope, Ala., plant had made arrangements for distributors' work to be processed at other plants. But Dennis only produced rain in the area, he said.

The National Hurricane Center is expecting Hurricane Emily to weaken to a storm and hit the southern coast of Texas by early next week. Hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.