09/18/2008
|
|
|
Employees at Austin Generator Service have been working day and night since Hurricane Ike devastated the Houston and Galveston area to keep up with demand for power. |
The hurricane that devastated much of the Texas coast left roughly 4 million residents with no power. And while Ike never got near the city of Austin, it managed to profoundly touch one small business that provides a scarce commodity around the disaster-stricken state these days: power.
Kurt Summers is president of Austin Generator Service, a company founded by his father, Don Summers, three decades ago. They sell and rent generators for business, homes, schools -- and they even power the Texas Capitol -- in addition to providing 24-hour emergency response and emergency standby generator systems for businesses and homes.
His family business has grown slowly and steadily since its inception, but never in the history of the 30-year-old company have their products and services been in such demand.
Summers said they are selling generators mostly to individual families for their homes but are also selling and larger generators to businesses.
"We have been getting some referrals from big-box stores," he says. "We have had so many folks thank us for having generators when no other business had them. The demand is staggering!"
Until last Wednesday, Austin Generator Service had limited stock, and turned some folks away. Since new stock has been arriving every day starting last Friday, many have returned -- waiting at the door as early as 5:30 a.m. -- and lines have been forming all week.
"We got a large shipment in yesterday morning, and we still have plenty," Summers says. While he does not have an exact count of all generators sold and rented -- because he's too busy selling and renting what he can -- he says it's possible they will have sold more by the end of this month than they did in all of 2007.
He says stores like Home Depot in Austin may not have generators until next month because most are going to stores in the Houston area.
He's proud that his small business has been able to step in during a time of crisis and assist where other stores have been unable.
"I'd say what has set us apart is our adaptability to meet the need," he says. That includes "adjusting the staff to newly created key sales and support positions; find generators quickly, from many locations and suppliers; and our willingness to work long hours to help meet the needs."
Kurt and his father, Don, have made Austin Generator Service part of the NFIB family since 1987.
Contact Austin Generator Service at 800-288-5582 or visit www.austingenerator.com for more information.
