Saturday, March 07, 2009
This year’s Jan. 27 ice storm is now being billed “the biggest natural disaster Kentucky has ever seen in modern history.”
An estimated 700,000 people were left without power as utility and communications services were devastated. Southwest Kentucky was hardest hit, particularly the territories of Hickman Fulton Electric Membership Cooperative and Jackson Purchase Energy Corp. As utility crews worked around the clock — battling subzero conditions — the challenge was not just repairing downed lines, but also rebuilding a ravaged utility infrastructure from the ground up.
Just prior to the storm, Cox Industries reached out to customers to reinforce their preparedness and inventory capabilities. Once initial storm assessments were made and orders started generating, employees from Cox facilities opened communications with one another: Carolina Pole in Eutawville, Carolina Pole in Leland, N.C., and Cox Wood of Alabama in Vance, Ala. Between the three locations, Cox shipped a total of 171 loads of material: 165 loads of poles, five loads of cross arms and one load of cross braces.
Field service efforts were led by Marvin Burnette and Coleman Allen (outside industrial sales) with assistance from Chris Coker, Angie Blake and Andrea Edwards (inside industrial sales). Communication was integral throughout the response to ensure that appropriate preservatives were being used and to coordinate loading and shipping of materials. Shipments were made around the clock; Cox drivers, working in conjunction with outside carriers, ensured prompt delivery regardless of the hour of day.
A unique solution during this emergency response was the decision to manufacture cross arm braces at Cox’s furniture and remanufacturing facility in Orangeburg (Palmetto Manufacturing).
Phillip Kizer, plant manager, quickly assembled teams and redirected concentrations to produce this industrial product never before made at the Orangeburg facility. The cross arm braces were then sent to North Wood Preserving for treatment and shipped out by equipment from various Cox locations including Augusta Wood Preserving.
Cox Wood of Alabama played a very important role in the successful efforts. Located closer to the impacted sites, Vance became the primary supply point for Hickman Fulton EMC, who just recently switched from Penta to CCA-ET. Dale Nicholas and the staff of Cox’s newest industrial facility handled the task as if they had been providing emergency disaster response for years.
As Cox leaders assess the response to the emergency, they say employees were empowered to make necessary decisions and exceeded all expectations. Burnette said, “I have worked for two other pole companies and have never seen the kind of energy exerted to accomplish what Mike Rouse (Carolina Pole, Leland), Dale Nicholas (Cox Wood of Alabama), and staff were able to … they always come through.”
Cox Industries Inc. Blog 