Detailed emergency and contingency plans enabled Johnstone Supply (Portland, OR) to restore its regional distribution center in Memphis, TN, to full operation within a week after suffering significant damage from a tornado. A series of destructive tornadoes swept across the South-Central U.S. in February.

The tornado ripped off roof sections and blew away loading dock doors from the wholesaler’s DC, as well as downing all of its operational infrastructure (communications, power, data transfer and water). No employee injuries were reported.

The tornado ripped off roof sections and blew away loading dock doors from the wholesaler’s DC, as well as downing all of its operational infrastructure.

The Johnstone Cooperative corporate headquarters immediately shifted store and customer orders to its other regional distribution centers across the country. This enabled the Memphis facility’s staff to assess and clean up the damage, inventory damaged product and re-order, make structural repairs and restore data, electrical and communications connections. Many Memphis DC staff members worked 10-12 hour shifts to accomplish these tasks.

The goal was to address the challenges with minimal disruption or inconvenience for Johnstone stores and customers.

“Each department was able to rapidly accomplish its assigned disaster recovery goals, and was prepared to do so, because of excellent disaster plans and documentation, but it could not have succeeded the way it did without the incredibly hard work put in by everyone involved,” Gary Daniels, president and CEO, said in a statement.

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