Lowe’s helps Gulf Coast cleanup
Lowe’s announced it deployed a first-of-its-kind tool rental disaster response trailer for the first time ever in the United States. The mobile unit is currently in operation at the Lowe’s store in Houma, La.
Just about one month ago Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana and caused widespread damage. The devastation lingers as communities are still suffering. But there is help too.
“We want to be there for our customers when they need us most, with the right rental equipment to help them rebuild their homes and communities,” said Shannon Tucker, vice president, pro, Lowe’s.
Affordable hard-to-find generators, water pumps, high velocity fans, electric and gas saws, and other critical tools and equipment are now available to rent to help people get safely back into their homes and get their businesses up and running, the company related.
“I am grateful for the associates from our tool rental business that have volunteered to travel to Louisiana to staff the trailer at Lowe’s store #596 in Houma,” Tucker said, “and serve our customers and associates that have been hit hard by this devastating storm.”
Houma-area residents and home improvement professionals have this new resource in their disaster recovery efforts, and Lowe’s has heard from two locals about it:
“I’m glad I saw the disaster response trailer while driving by. I needed to buy all these tools — eight fans, two generators, two electrical cords — and this is definitely a much better option. This new concept of Lowe’s tool rental is a time and money saver for companies like ours,” said one Lake Charles contractor.
“Thanks to the Lowe’s disaster response trailer, I was able to rent a chainsaw to clear trees off the hotel property. Having my hotel back in order is allowing us to serve more our customers and our community,” noted a local hotel owner.
Some of the partners, Lowe’s noted, assisting in disaster recovery response efforts include: Bosch, Husqvarna, Tsurumi, FNA- Simpson, GNE – Honda, Xpower, Metabo, Werner, VP Racing Fuels, SmartEquip, AT&T, LiveView and Point of Rental.
Disaster relief partners share thoughts
Here’s what two of those partners told Lowe’s about the ongoing efforts:
“Supporting customers when they need help the most has been a core part of Husqvarna’s partnership with Lowe’s for many years and we are proud to continue that with the tool rental disaster response trailer,” said John Castillo, VP NA sales, Husqvarna.
“This expanded partnership provides Husqvarna the opportunity to support local communities with an assortment of professional chainsaws, power cutters and backpack leaf blowers for rent to help them clean-up and rebuild after a natural disaster,” he noted.
Continuing, Castillo explained, “We continue to support this important Lowe’s initiative with on-the-ground associate training and customer assistance in both Houma and any location the trailer may need to be deployed in the future.”
Jake Gregory, key account manager with Robert Bosch Tool Corporation said, “Bosch is extremely proud to partner with Lowe’s tool rental and their disaster response trailer rollout in Houma. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with tool rental associates to serve customers recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida.”
Gregory added that, “We quickly redirected field resources to support Lowe’s trailer and stores across the Louisiana Gulf region. Thanks to the partnership and dedication of our teams, we were able to assist with getting the right product in the hands of customers most impacted by the storm, and ultimately helping the community recover faster and safer.”
More emergency help arriving
The disaster response trailer is in operation from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the company notes, and will be in Houma through October 14. Two waves of company associates, numbering several hundred, have been deployed to the region in the last 30 days to help with recovery efforts, the firm related.
Loew’s added that its third wave of 240 emergency response associates have been deployed today, Sept. 30, from stores in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina to provide additional customer support and relief for associates in New Orleans, Thibodaux and Houma.
Ida roared ashore with 150 mph winds as a Category 4 hurricane one month ago. The storm surge had rose as high as some homes’ rooftops. Some towns are still without power and running water today.
