It will be several days before orders for Hurricane Ike repairs hit the Albemarle facility but employees are ready to hit the assembly line like they have after so many other devastating storms.

Hurricane Ike left a trail of destruction in Texas and eight other states and the extent of the damage appears to be massive. After the storm the company’s 155 employees have to respond.

“You really don't know what products are going to be used in what regions,” Ziebarth said. “Each of the utilities has the right to use different types of grades or specifications so it's impossible to stock everything you might need, but we do our best.”

Storm Recovery

As power crews head out to help rebuild the communities hit by Hurricane Ike, they will be relying on supplies made in Stanly County.

“We know that a storm with the impact that we've just seen with Ike is going to bring tremendous work into our plant and we know that we have a quick turnaround time to get it out the door so they can get their power back on,” Preformed Line Products employee Debra Bowers said.

Three years later, they are still filling some orders for Hurricane Katrina damage. Employees expect the damage from Ike to keep them busy for six months to a year.

Preformed Line Products even built a robot to help increase their production just for hurricane-related products. Hurricane Katrina wiped out its back supply within a week. The company operated for 29 days straight for 24 hours a day to meet the demands from Katrina.