Underground Construction - October 2018 - 19

Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief

Vermeer Rebounds, Rebuilds, Restarts

EF-3 Tornado Damage is Overcome Quickly to Restore Operations

After suffering a devastating
tornado in July, Vermeer Corp.
officers announced that, as of
early September, the company
had restored its full manufacturing capabilities, and was
actively building and shipping
products for the underground
construction, farming and environmental industries. Vermeer
also was able to return all 2,700
employees to full-time work.
The EF-3 tornado ripped
through the Vermeer campus
just outside of Pella, Iowa, at
about 4 p.m. on July 19. Thanks
to advanced warning, superior training and quick reaction
by the company's security and
safety force, no one was seriously injured. However, three
of the seven manufacturing
plants sustained heavy damage.
Plants 5 and 6 were eventually
declared total losses while Plant
7, with some immediate and
innovative repairs, was expedited back into operation within a
few days.
Vermeer President and CEO
Jason Andringa recently provided an update regarding the
well-structured, yet aggressive
approach company personnel
instigated to restore jobs and
operations in an amazingly
short period time, especially
in lieu of the massive damage
incurred.
"After determining that
there were no serious injuries,
we realized we've got our people
- that's everything we need to
rebuild," Andringa recalled.
The storm struck on a Thursday afternoon, but a whirlwind
of activity and planning was
immediately launched.
"On that following Monday,
I was part of, and our chaplains

and operations leadership were
part of 19 different meetings,
14 of which were at Vermeer to
welcome folks back," Andringa explained. "Then there were
five offsite meetings, where we
met with employees in local
communities to inform them
what was going on at Vermeer,
and that our hopes and aspirations were to get people back
as soon as possible. That was
just the first Monday after the
tornado."
As employees and experts
began sifting through the destroyed plants and salvaging
assets, incredibly, the return to
productivity took shape quickly.
"The following Monday, we
were able to bring Plant 4 back,"
he continued. "That was a huge
win for us because Plant 4 produces a lot of volume equipment that is extremely important to our customers and
dealers. Getting Plant 4 back
online just one week after the
tornado was phenomenal."
Andringa pointed out that
within two weeks Plant 7 was
also brought back online. "We
moved the entire Navigator line
- all of our horizontal directional drilling rigs, from our smallest drill, up to the largest D100
- back online and full production. The fact that we were able
to get that going just two to
four weeks after the tornado
was a huge win."
Still Moving forward
Vermeer's Doug Hundt, president of industrial solutions,
stressed that while the company has been intent on returning
to full employment and production, it's not content to settle
for the pre-tornado status quo.

Top: This damage is from Plant 5. Both Vermeer Plants 5 and 6 were declared total
losses. Bottom: Vermeer Vice President of Operations Bill Blackorby points out the
extent of the tornado damage.

Building Continues
Jason Andringa, Vermeer president
and CEO; and Doug Hundt, president of industrial solutions, also
took advantage of the celebratory
nature of the press conference to
announce the imminent construction of a new facility. Consolidating
engineering programs currently
scattered over three locations,
the building will be constructed
on land near the manufacturing
plants.
"Shop 48," as the building will be
called, is named for both the traditional shop that company founder
Gary Vermeer used to design his
many inventions, and the year the
company was founded - 1948.

Vermeer President and CEO Jason
Andringa (right) addresses media
about the return to full operations
after the company suffered a devasting tornado in July. Doug Hundt,
president of industrial solutions, also
participated in the media event.

UConOnline.com | OCTOBER 2018

http://www.UConOnline.com

Underground Construction - October 2018

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