The next day, Smith & Loveless dispatched its first wave of personnel to various sites in the region, with two employees already in the area. Tim Paulsen, After Market Retrofit Manager, traveled to southern

Kentucky, with representative firm Delaney & Associates while John Kelly, Senior Design Engineer, made his way to Tennessee.

According to Paulsen, a shallow creek – one that a person could essentially walk across  – rose approximately 30 feet and took out a levee. WhenPaulsen and his fellow sales associates arrived  there, the city had no power or water service.

 

 

 

“They were more or less in shock that this creek could rise so high, so quickly,” Paulsen said. “But they were happy that we got there quickly to assist them.”

 

The following week, as more areas cleared when waters receded further, S&L Field Service technicians Jim Corder and Richard Williamson met in Tennessee with local representatives. Williamson brought a truckload of vital parts to help get pump stations up and running.  They spent more than one week assisting utilities in one of the region’s most affected areas, central Tennessee.

 

“The ruination was worse than (Hurricane) Katrina,” said Corder. “Not as consistent throughout like Katrina, but in spots, the damage was as bad as I’ve seen.”

When Williamson, Corder, and Lancaster left the area, numerous S&L lift stations that they worked on in the region were online. This major success was a testament to their acumen, dedication and the durable S&L equipment.

 

Meanwhile back at S&L headquarters, the front-line staff was busy answering the phones, researching installation records, and providing information to customers affected by the flood in whatever means

 possible. Because some customers did not have significant flood damage, they received procedures on drying out their control panels properly. In those cases, equipment came right back up.

 

Ivy Sanders, After Market research intern, was just one of several Smith & Loveless employees calling customers to provide assistance.  She offered customers guidance on how to get their equipment back up and running, or to check if they needed additional assistance from the Smith & Loveless Response Team.

“Customers have said they were very happy with the support that they’ve received from Smith & Loveless,” Sanders said.

 

Jim Corder echoed that sentiment, indicating that even normal utility customers in the areas he worked observed his presence and were delighted with the help he and others delivered. To those people whose lives were forever changed by the floods, a calming and knowledgeable presence can do wonders.

 

“People (living nearby) were very appreciative that we got the stations back up,” Corder said. “They were bringing us refreshments, allowing us to use their hose and thanking us.”