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 Ask
the Expert question: At
the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, how has GE's Trailer
Fleet Services been able to help the New Orleans area recover
over the past year?
Greg LeBlanc,
New Orleans Branch Operations Manager, answers: After the
Hurricane Katrina disaster hit we quickly responded by setting
up a central command center in the region to coordinate relief
related trailer needs, as well as respond to the needs of the
many employees we have in the region.
Our priority
during the first weeks and months ahead was to assure the safety
of our branch employees in the region. Many of our employees were
left with only the shirt on their back. GE worked tirelessly to
make it possible for many families to return to the area and start
to rebuild their homes and lives as soon as possible. I can recall
several senior level managers at GE on the phone with our branch
employees daily to calm their fears, let them know they still
had a job, and to make sure they were getting what they needed.
During the
following months, the city started a massive rebuilding and cleaning
operation to get life back to normal - which incidentally has
never been the same since the night of August 29, 2005.
 The
breach of the levees after the arrival of Hurricane Katrina devastated
our previous New Orleans branch location - suffering a loss of
nearly all our trailer inventory at the time. Today our business
is located just outside of New Orleans proper and is ready to
assist businesses in the area with trailers to meet the increased
logistics and transportation needs of the region.
Our New Orleans
branch is now seeing a surge of customers - both for rental and
maintenance services. Initially, the lack of demand in convention
business shifted trailer inventory in the surrounding area back
to our New Orleans branch. Luckily, those trailers provided the
inventory that we needed to plant our feet firmly back on the
ground (albeit a ground over the swamp). It provided the necessary
assets we needed to get our local and national customers back
up and running in the area.
Many local
customers have come back to the city and picked up right where
they left off. Everyone that returns is doing a small part in
helping to rebuild the city and strengthen the local economy.
On a personal
level, we still have two mechanics without a permanent home. You
can't speak about Katrina without speaking about these employees.
Both of these guys are working furiously to meet local and national
government deadlines to keep their personal property. One year
later, these people are still waiting on government funds to help
them. It has been a huge struggle in the area for many and seeing
it first hand with two of your employees makes it very personal.
During this
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, GE's Trailer Fleet Services
is proud to be involved in the rebirth of the great city of New
Orleans as it rebuilds and gains a sense of normalcy. Our New
Orleans area branch employees are dedicated to delivering the
best service and GE experience possible as they support the renewal
process in the region.
GE as a company
has done so much for their employees and that is only a drop in
the bucket when you compare it to what GE has done for the entire
Gulf Coast area. GE has shown compassion and has helped these
people get back on their feet. Not only has GE as a company shown
compassion, but also the hundreds of other employees working across
the country to take care of customers and personnel in the area
and I would like to personally thank them.
For more information
on GE's relief efforts with Hurricane Katrina, click
here.
Video:
GE's "Camp Comfort" support of Hurricane Katrina
This video
documents the enormous GE response to Hurricane Katrina recovery
efforts - with particular emphasis on our Modular Space support.
See and hear firsthand the power of GE and our employees in the
face of a catastrophe.
View
the video
To
submit a question to be answered by a GE expert in a future On
the Move issue, click
here.
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