Lending a Hand

•Leica Geosystemsemployees have responded to the catastrophe by working with state, local,federal and nonprofit organizations to provide spatial expertise andhumanitarian support. These individuals have provided training to state disastermanagement agencies, support to federal departments and assistance tointernational organizations. Leica’s equipment, personnel, temporary softwarelicenses, training and technical support and other assistance are available forany organization with geospatial information needs while participating in therelief effort.

•HOBAS Pipe USA has donated $5,000 to the Trenchless Technology HurricaneKatrina Relief Fund.

•Henkels & McCoy has dispatched more than 470 power employees, 30communications lines workers, seven safety personnel and approximately 269pieces of equipment to the Gulf Coast region. Crews and equipment from theCentral and East regions were ramped up prior to Hurricane Katrina. Henkels& McCoy is working to restore services to hurricane survivors and is alsogathering
supplies to send to its crews. One truck containing necessitieshas already been sent, with more planned. In addition to supplying workers andequipment, Henkels & McCoy is also making a pledge to match employeecontributions dollar for dollar.

•John Deere & Co. has announced that it will provide a total of $1million to support ongoing relief and restoration efforts related to HurricaneKatrina. John Deere’s equipment divisions will, over the weeks ahead identifyhow in-kind equipment donations can be best utilitized. The John DeereFoundation will also contribute $500,000 and will match employee contributionsto the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

• The Saint-Gobain Corp. — parent company to CertainTeed Corp. — Foundationhas made a lump-sum donation to the American Red Cross. Further, employeesmaking personal contributions to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army oranother recognized organization involved in the rehabilitation effort will havetheir donations effectively doubled by the company’s Matching Gifts Program.

•The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) announced that it hasestablished the Hurricane Katrina Construction Workers Fund, through the AGCEducation and Research Foundation, to provide financial assistance to theconstruction workers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who sufferedfinancially from the disaster.

•Multiquip and MQ Power have sent close to 4,000 generators to the GulfCoast. They are also shipping light towers, pumps and have a dozen staff in thearea helping those displaced by the hurricane. Steven Spence, Multiquip’s pumpproduct and international sales manager, who is from New Orleans, is thereserving as a member of the Red Cross’ Disaster Action Team (DAT) where he isresponsible for communications, damage assessment and mass care for thosedisplaced by the hurricane. Also, Multiquip has donated more than $50,000,collected from employees nationwide for disaster relief. The collection isongoing.

•One of Miller Pipeline Corp.’s suppliers is Master Liner, whose owner DwayneRivera, had more than 30 people staying at his house during Hurricane Katrina.His house did not sustain flood damage due to it being some 12 ft above thelake; however, it did sustain wind damage and it took the group two days to cuttheir way out of their development due to the number of trees down. On thesecond day, after learning of Rovira’s situation, Miller sent down atractor-trailer rig of water, food, gas, natural gas-powered generator and otheritems along with some of its crews to help them out. A few days later, MillerPipeline sent another truckload of food and other supplies (more than $1,000worth), another natural gas generator for the manufacturing facility whereMasterliner fabricates CIPP tubes for it. According to Miller Pipelineofficials, the Masterliner plant was not seriously damaged but it had nofacilities. But with the equipment and manpower that Miller Pipeline provided,the plant got up and running on the Thursday following the hurricane. Roviracould not be reached for comment. Miller Pipeline has since contacted anothersupplier Entergy — a gas company in New Orleans — and sent two gas crews withsupplies to it on a volunteer basis to help them terminate blowing services andreinstate others.

•Longview Advantage Inc. announced its commitment to support its customers inthe devastated regions of Louisiana and Mississippi following the HurricaneKatrina upheaval. No monthly service fees will be issued to those customersuntil these regions are well on their way to recovery. Longview Advantagemarkets GPS tracking solutions for fleet management and theft recoveryapplications. There are associated monthly communication fees to send commandsto and receive information from the device to locate or secure a machine orvehicle. It is waiving these monthly charges to those affected customers.

•Michels Corp. announced that it has donated $25,000 to the Fond du LacChapter of the Salvation Army of Wisconisn and is matching donations up to$100,000 for hurricane victims.

(Editor’s note: This is just a partial list of help from companies that weknow of. We realize that many, many more companies have devoted their time,manpower, equipment and money to help in the rebuilding effort and to assiststhe victims. If you would like to share your Hurricane Katrina story, pleasecontact us at info@benjaminmedia.com.)