Ross H. Bushnell
Senior vice President, Sales & Marketing
Silgan Plastics Corporation
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P.O. Box 1080
Chesterfield, MO 63006-1080
Telephone: (314) 469-4642
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September 22, 2008
Subject: Final Houston Plant Update
Dear Valued Customer:
I am happy to report that our Houston plant is fully operational and running all lines to fulfill orders and rebuild inventory. Our sources of raw materials are presently secure and adequate to maintain full operations and all Houston Plant contacts are available to handle your inquiries directly.
Thankfully, we don’t get many opportunities to test our Business Continuity Plan in real life, but in this instance I am delighted to say that our Customer Service and Operations teams overcame a huge challenge after Hurricane Ike scored a direct hit on our Houston facility. Specific steps included:
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Immediate activation of the Emergency Response Team which includes Directors from
Operations, Sales, Procurement and Customer Service.
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Immediate transition of all customer communications from Houston to our Corporate Customer Service Center.
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Operations people on site and emergency communications established within 24 hours.
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Product shipment of available inventory via manual Bills of Lading and “virtual terminals” in Chesterfield, MO, within 48 hours.
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Outreach to key customers for need prioritization and identification of planned tooling movement to other Silgan facilities should that have proven necessary.
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Emergency generators powering key communications, lighting and computer systems secured and installed; clean-up began within 72 hours.
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Power restored late on day four post-Ike, the plant in partial production on day five and fully operational on day six – Friday, 9/19.
Thanks to all of you for your patience and cooperation as we worked through this difficult situation. As always, we appreciate your business and the confidence you’ve placed in Silgan Plastics Corporation.
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