A summer thunderstorm that moved through the Chicago area on July 21 brought high winds, hail and heavy downpours, and in the process tore the roof off of a prominent office technology dealership’s headquarters in Elk Grove Village, IL.
Chip Miceli, DPOE
Des Plaines Office Equipment (DPOE) was one of numerous businesses and homes to experience extensive damage from the high winds, described by DPOE President and Co-Owner Chip Miceli as microbursts. The storm ripped the roof from the 30-year-old building, located at 1020 Bonaventure Dr. No injuries were reported and the employees were quickly evacuated. Miceli said the incident will not impact the company’s ability to provide sales and service to its customers.
Repairs to the building could take as long as a year, according to Miceli. The storm damaged $3 million worth of inventory and it was not immediately known how much the building repairs would cost.
Efforts are under way to effect repairs on DPOE’s Elk Grove Village, IL, facility after a microburst damaged its roof on July 21.
According to Miceli, a microburst tore away the building’s roof around 4:50 p.m. while several dozen of the firm’s 70 employees were inside. “First and foremost, we are grateful that there were no injuries,” he said. “We can replace a building and we will. Our first concern was making certain everyone was OK. Our other high priority is to make certain that our customers continue to receive the same high level of service that they have come to expect.”
As repairs to the Elk Grove Village building begin, Miceli said that the company will operate from its two other locations—one in nearby downtown Chicago (211 West Wacker Dr.) and the other in Rockford. Immediately following the incident, the team moved its Network Operations Center to the Chicago location, and they have reassigned personnel normally based in Elk Grove Village to the other two facilities. In addition to the two Des Plaines Office Equipment locations, the company also has several satellite locations in Indiana.
“It will require a reshuffling of resources temporarily, but we won’t miss a beat,” Miceli said of the company that he and his brother, Victor, have run since the late 1980s. “Our technicians are on the road, as always, our phones are up and running, and we are open for business.”
Miceli said it is possible that the firm may lease some additional space in Elk Grove Village while their building is being repaired.
A DPOE conference room suffered extensive water damage from the July 21 storm that struck the greater Chicagoland area.
All means of contacting the company are the same; the central phone line, (847) 879-6400 will connect callers to the right department and person.
“We are grateful to the people of Elk Grove Village for their support, and we thank the emergency response people from this community for their assistance,” Miceli said. “I want to assure our customers that we are here to continue to serve them. We will update everyone on the progress of the reconstruction of the Elk Grove Village building and we thank you for your patience during this time.”
About Des Plaines Office Equipment
Des Plaines Office Equipment (DPOE) is a leader in the field of print management, including multi-function printers and It/technology solutions, serving the greater Chicago area since 1955. Today, DPOE operates three locations: its headquarters in Elk Grove Village, and a location in Chicago (211 West Wacker Dr.) and Rockford (Loves Park, IL). DPOE is a leading provider of Sharp office equipment, Oki Data, HP, Kyocera and Toshiba (telephone systems). The company has added the Sharp Aquos Board, an interactive display system, and customized video wall to its product line. DPOE provides products and services to a diverse client base that includes schools, hospitals, law offices, accounting firms, and financial institutions, among others.
