Update: Power restored, repairs in progress at Cast Classics

Company helps communities in need following Hurricane Sandy

Alexa Boschini -- Casual Living, 11/6/2012 1:35:00 PM

LYNDHURST, N.J. -- Outdoor furnishings manufacturer Cast Classics reports that the power at its office has been restored following Hurricane Sandy, and repairs to damages sustained in the storm are in progress.

The company announced last week that its New Jersey office was flooded, without power and unable to send or receive phone or email communications. But President Al Arad said the company felt fortunate that the damage wasn't worse.

"Thankfully our family and our team here, nobody sustained severe damage at their homes... There was a lot of notice, so we were well prepared for it," Arad said. "We took all of our servers and paperwork out of the building. Our office is in the Meadowlands area, which is kind of a flood zone."

Water did seep into the building, damaging some cartons, but Arad said no merchandise was damaged.

"We have wet carpets, which is now causing mold," Arad said. "We just had a damage control team here from our insurance company, and we have to basically re-carpet and re-drywall everything."

Arad said the plan is for those repairs to take place the week of Thanksgiving, during which time the Cast Classics office will be closed. The warehouse will remain open, he said.

"We anticipate ship times to be on time and not affected by this," Arad said.

During the days the office was without power, Arad said the staff mobilized to help others in the community whose homes were completely destroyed. They filled the Cast Classics trucks with water, toiletries and other supplies and drove to heavily damaged areas where people lost many of their possessions.

"Our team here has been incredibly helpful with that effort," Arad said. "It wasn't really an organized effort. People just saw a need and started donating stuff. People were so generous."

As for the company, Arad said the staff has started entering orders again and the servers are already back online.

"It's been really pretty amazing," Arad said. "We've gotten so many phone calls from customers, from vendors. One vendor offered to give us office space in their office. We've just had people calling us to see what they can do to help."