Here is how one wholesaler responded when a branch office-warehouse burned to the ground.
On Friday afternoon, Nov. 17, 2000, I walked into the headquarters office of the St. Louis wholesaler where I have served as president for the past 12 years. With products including specialty fasteners, thermal insulation, heating and air conditioning, and air filtration, we had expanded during the 1990s to 10 branches throughout Missouri and Illinois. I bounded up the steps and greeted the switchboard operator with a smile. It was just before Thanksgiving and on this Friday afternoon I was in a cheery mood.
In response to my greeting the operator said, "I'm afraid you're not going to be so happy with the news I'm going to tell you. There's been a fire at our Columbia office."