Thompson Pump Deploys Emergency Response Team, Hastening Hurricane Recovery Efforts

When it became apparent Hurricane Matthew was headed for the US mainland, Thompson Pump got the word out to its regional sales and service centers throughout the Southeast, including locations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The message was “be ready” throughout the southeastern United States.

Alerted to the impending disaster, regional offices took inventory of available pumps, hoses and accessories. Logistics were ironed out and plans, backup plans and lines of communications were established. Before Matthew made landfall, like a firehouse, Thompson Pump was ready to get the call, load up, and go.

“The phones were ringing off the hook. Calls came in from the private and public sectors; companies, and municipalities had urgent and immediate needs that had to be met,” said Bobby Zitzka, Sales Manager for Thompson Pump. “Our teams all did a fantastic job. They worked around the clock to ensure everyone’s safety and satisfaction, either through their physical presence or by obtaining pumps from other locations not affected by the storm.”

The Emergency Response Team snapped into action; engineers, technicians, and drivers went to work getting to each site in the best possible time, and then labored around the clock to dewater the affected areas.

Ryan McHugh, Branch Manager of Thompson Pump’s Port Orange, Florida facility said, “Our Emergency Response Team deployed numerous pumps and thousands of feet of discharge hose to large numbers of public and privately owned sites throughout the hard-hit northeastern coast and central Florida. They work hard and true; they get the job done.”

Unfortunately, Florida was not the only area impacted by the hurricane. At every Thompson Pump location up the east coast from Chesapeake, Virginia to West Palm Beach, Florida, the company was at maximum utilization, distributing as many pumps as it had available. It was a complete team effort. In addition to Port Orange, Chesapeake and West Palm Beach, emergency personnel from Thompson Pump locations in Savannah, Goldsboro North Carolina, Myrtle Beach and Jacksonville also pitched in to meet the needs of customers during this busy time.

Even today, pressures for equipment continue to be important in Virginia and the Carolinas.

“Over the years, Our Emergency Response Team has refined the action plan to meet all kinds of emergencies. Thompson Pump has been there for the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Gulf oil spill, the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, super-storm Sandy, and now Hurricane Matthew. Helping mitigate disaster is something we take pride in doing.” said Chris Thompson, President of Thompson Pump. “It’s not something we like to do; it’s something we must do.”

About Thompson Pump
Thompson Pump, a 47-year old family-owned company based in Port Orange, Florida, is a full-service manufacturer and provider of high-quality dewatering and construction pumps, pumping equipment and engineering expertise for dewatering, bypass, and emergency pumping applications worldwide. Thompson Pump is one of a very few pump companies to have obtained ISO 9001-2008 certification. For more information, visit www.thompsonpump.com.