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Hurricane Michael Crisis Response

• October 29, 2018
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• Crown Healthcare

Our customers deal with crisis every day. After all, they’re out there saving lives on a regular basis. So, when a natural disaster like Hurricane Michael makes it difficult for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to get the linens and uniforms that they need, we step up to take care of our customers when they need it the most.

Hurricane Michael passed through our service area last week, wreaking havoc on the Gulf Coast. Thankfully our staff, transportation fleet and processing plants went unharmed. Unfortunately, some of our customers were not so lucky.

A portion of a hospital that we provide linen services for was completely destroyed overnight, and the destroyed area happened to be where their linen is stored. Crown received this communication at 6 a.m. CST, and by 10:30 a.m. our CEO had hand delivered essential linen items to the helicopter rendezvous point for immediate delivery to the hospital. HCA Corporate called Crown a few days ago and asked us how we got to their hospital in Panama City the day after Michael because none of their other suppliers could get in. When times are at their worst, Crown is at our best!

Coming through for our customers when they need us the most is what keeps us motivated every single day. And our customers notice our extra effort. It has helped Crown grow from serving one HCA hospital back in 1997 to now serving three divisions and 46 of their hospitals.

Here are just a few of our staff that we’d like to thank for a response to Hurricane Michael that went above and beyond:

• Kit Wilson, Dave Hammond and John Chrobak for keeping the plants staffed and running as Michael came ashore. John had double duty this year with two storms affecting South Carolina.
• All the drivers that went out and delivered supplies right up to the last minute, and then in some cases were the first truck to make it back to the customer after the storm passed.
• Bernie Salter and Chuck Warren who jumped in straight trucks after Michael passed to get linen to our Panama City customers. These guys are RAMS, but still jumped in a truck. They probably helped or watched our Western VP of Sales Craig Waltman, who headed to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and helped hospitals that were not even customers at the time.
• Rick Hamlin, Ann Harber, Jerry Brand, Gary Pawlak, Brenda Krause, Sam Anderson, Ray Straughn, Debbie Johnson, Jimmy Tillman, Bill Sopp, Becky and Jamie Smith: our seasoned veterans who go into Crown mode every time the need arises to take care of our customers.

Our thoughts and best wishes are with our customers, employees, and everyone else who has been affected by Hurricane Michael.