Floyd Slows, Can't Stop Trw - company rebuilds after disaster - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, Nov, 1999 by Dale Jewett

Heroes are often discovered during times of crisis. That happened frequently during Hurricane Floyd as strangers helped one another. But it was also true in business. DaimlerChrysler AG Chairman Bob Eaton has nothing but praise for how TRW Inc. handled the storm. Its plant in Greenville, N.C., was hit "unbelievably hard" but the company did "miraculous things," Eaton says.

Although the facility is on high ground, some water got in. It didn't do much damage but the roads leading to the facility were impassable. No problem. People were flown in by helicopter, as were port-a-johns and bottled water. And even though the workforce was scattered and dealing with damaged homes and distraught families, the operation was down for only four days. "They started with 20% of the workforce and slowly built back up," Eaton says. "But we aren't having any supply problems."