Florida Hose & Gasket has effectively handled an estimated 300% increase in demand because of the impact of Hurricane Michael in October 2018, a Category 5 hurricane.
The company has been part of Panama City and the surrounding community for 20 years. They are an industrial supplier of hydraulic, chemical, water, sewer and suction hoses that also provides pipe fittings and a full range of repair work.
Jimmy Carr, company owner, said its 5,000-sq.-ft. building suffered major damage from the hurricane. Soon after cleanup efforts began, tractor trailers, boon trucks and utility trucks, and anyone who needed a hydraulic or similar hose, stopped by Florida Hose & Rubber. With other powerful hurricanes and tropical storms having hit the Southeast in the preceding weeks, some new customers were arriving from other states.
A neighboring company left the area in the wake of Hurricane Michael, and Carr is now finalizing negotiations on that adjacent USD $1 million piece of property that includes an existing 22,000-sq.-ft. building, which will help Florida Hose & Rubber address its need for additional space.
“We’re just going to keep going from here,” Carr said. “Hopefully we won’t ever have to deal with anything like Michael again.”
Image credit: Florida Hose & Gasket
