Tropitone reopens headquarters
Manufacturing resumes at Southern California plant
-- Casual Living, 2/2/2010 8:06:00 AM
Tropitone Furniture Company’s corporate office and manufacturing activities are back at full strength following repairs to its facility in Irvine, Calif.
The damages resulted from a series of intense rain storms that plagued Southern California for more than a week after originating over the northern Pacific Ocean. On Jan. 19, a torrential rain caused a section of the roof to collapse in the manufacturing portion of the facility. A subsequent storm on Jan. 20 caused damage to the roof in another section.
“We are very fortunate that no one was injured during either of the two incidents,” said Tropitone President and CEO Cap Hendrix. “However, the second roof damage was near the electrical panels that service the entire facility. This required us to shut down electrical power.”
Tropitone deployed its business interruption plan to bring IT services back up within hours utilizing temporary power. Permanent electrical power and other essential services were restored once the roof was repaired and the facility was declared safe. Repair and cleanup operations have followed. Just 10 calendar days after the first incident, all employees were able to return to their jobs on Jan. 29 to prepare for full operations to start again on Feb. 1.
“It is a testament to the spirit of Tropitone’s people and the long-standing, close relationships we have in Irvine and throughout Southern California that we have recovered so fast,” Hendrix said. “Within minutes of the first incident, we had mobilized the resources necessary to begin the recovery process. The incredible teamwork began with emergency first responders and has continued non-stop through today. Despite the business interruption, it has been an inspiring experience.”
Tropitone’s Irvine operations were back at full strength as of Monday. It will take a few days to get totally back to normal.
The Irvine-based staff will continue to work closely with its facility in Sarasota, Fla., to overcome any time-sensitive business issues caused by the business interruption. The Sarasota facility services primarily the eastern part of North America, but has the same capability as Irvine to manufacture and ship products. This two-plant approach is a key component of Tropitone’s strategy.
Tropitone leaders expressed thanks to all who helped during this difficult situation. “The support we have received from our customers, sales representatives and the casual furniture industry has been incredible,” according to a company news release.
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