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DTx Disaster Recovery Program Extends Beyond Company Walls Located in the coastal community of Melbourne, Florida, DTx Inc. resides in one of the areas hardest hit by both Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne. Still today, months after the two storms battered the coast, the widespread residential and commercial damage is evident. Those now infamous blue tarps and “Out of Business” signs remain scattered across the homes and businesses of Brevard County and beyond. Whether or not your home or business sustained damage, if you live in Central Florida, the storms affected your every day life. Many residents were temporarily laid off until repairs could be made to their place of work. Some business were completely destroyed and closed permanently. Residents were left with big repair bills and little or no income to manage them. DTx’s 20,000 square foot corporate headquarters and production facility was able to withstand the high winds and heavy rain of both Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne. With the exception of a few minor leaks, the building sustained no damage. Power was restored within 48 hours after each of the storms and DTx re-opened for business shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, not all of DTx’s employees were as lucky. Before reopening after the first hurricane, DTx executives met to make some tough decisions. “We had shipped critical and irreplaceable inventory to a safe location outside the state,” recalls Phillip Gerard, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “While DTx hadn’t sustained any structural damage from the storm, production could not resume until the inventory was returned. We wanted to make sure we could employ those who were able to work and help those who sustained damage to recover.” So, DTx implemented a unique recovery plan. DTx production personnel were paid their usual salaries to help employees in need of recovery assistance while production lines were down awaiting the return of inventory. A sign-up sheet was created for anyone in the company who needed a hand. DTx workers helped remove debris, repair water damage, patch leaks and other home recovery projects. Employees who received assistance were also paid and special concessions were given to those needing additional time off to get their lives back in order. “If it hadn’t been for DTx, I don’t know what I would have done,” says Tammy Hoelke, a purchasing agent for DTx whose home was severely damaged by Frances and rendered unlivable after Jeanne. “Between trying to find a home for my family, filing FEMA paperwork, meeting with inspectors and waiting in line for food and ice, I barely had time to sleep, much less make it to the office. But I needed the income. I didn’t know what to do.” “We really are a family,” says DTx President,
Art Schmitt, “We’ve been through a lot together
and have always ended up on top. The hurricanes were
just another hurdle I knew we could overcome. I wasn’t
about to let anyone go.”
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