After spending the last couple weeks putting the pieces back together in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Kevin Jackson—the president and CEO of Advanced Business Equipment (ABE)—finally has reason to smile. The dealership, based in storm-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina, is far from out of the woods, but an outpouring of generosity from members of the office tech industry will help provide some level of relief.
What started as an email thread among members of the Select Dealer Group (SDG) regarding the dire circumstances facing Jackson—a fellow SDG member—quickly grew legs. That thread spilled into an email chain among members of The Consortium after Richard Van Dyke, president and CEO of Advanced Office in Irvine, California, reached out to Consortium founder Mike Stramaglio.
What followed was inspirational—fellow dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, consultants, press/analysts and other providers to the industry mobilized. One by one, Consortium and SDG members pledged dollar amounts from $500 to $2,500 in the email chain over the past 24 hours or so, a testament to the solidarity, friendship, empathy and compassion of industry members. More than $80,000 has been raised to assist Jackson with payroll and other expenses. Stramaglio estimates the total will eclipse $100,000 by week’s end.
In a Zoom call organized by Stramaglio and fellow Consortium leader Hiro Ueda, Jackson profusely thanked the industry community and spent much of the 45 minutes detailing the destruction left in the wake of Helene’s Sept. 27 arrival.
Tremendous Toll
Situated among the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville was among the hardest-hit areas in North Carolina. The city is located in Buncombe County, where 72 people have died out of the state’s growing toll of 120, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported. Jackson noted that each day, emergency rescue personnel are finding bodies.
Power has been in and out. A multitude of trees and power lines are down. Access to fresh/hot water has been a premium, as the estimates are it could take 4-6 weeks for it to be restored. Many roads have been washed away, which has made reaching employees difficult, he said. Schools are closed, including the high school Jackson’s children attend, and while the hope is to set up some level of remote learning by late October, many households still lack internet connectivity.
Between cutting up trees that have fallen on homes and locating power generators, as well as a constant push to help employees secure the bare necessities, Jackson has been constantly on the go for two weeks (he estimates spending maybe six hours in the office during that time). The situation is fluid from day to day.
Gasoline was a commodity in short supply, but Jackson was able to procure tanker trucks from Greensboro to deliver it so that employees could fuel their vehicles and remain mobile. Now, with the gas situation restored, the focus is on sourcing water. Jackson was able to use a couple of large water tanks for ABE, and it took him three hours to fill the tanks with a garden hose.
Water Push
Having the ability to flush toilets further taxed the water situation; the typical toilet uses about 2-3 gallons per flush. Jackson was finally able to procure a bathroom trailer to park outside ABE’s facility. It uses less water than a typical toilet, he noted. Nearly a dozen of his employees are in need of water. Jackson’s own home is without power, water or wifi.
“Everyone is fighting for the same resources,” Jackson said.
While all employees are back at ABE, the same can’t be said for its customers. A total of 35 customer machines have been washed away. Some customers have only recently been able to start insurance claims (Jackson has a spreadsheet keeping track of the situation). Some clients have requested payment deferments, while others have asked Jackson to cancel their contracts immediately because they are now out of business.
Konica Minolta sent a large truck with supplies to ABE, and Jackson has his sales reps making wellness checks on the most ravaged areas and distributing the Konica Minolta goods, which were grouped into care packages. Another truck that brought much-needed supplies was driven by Chris and Danielle Wolowitz of Shore Business Solutions, who trekked 12 hours from New Jersey. The goods were provided to employees who did not have water and included solar-powered shower bags, wipes, disinfectants and paper towels. Danielle and some of her friends even prepared food for the storm-weary dealership.
This only scratches the surface of the hard work and countless hours being spent to return life to some semblance of normalcy. If you would like to contribute to ABE as it struggles to survive, click here.
