USA: Automotive suppliers team up for hurricane relief
Promax Automotive and Yazaki North America Inc. have announced a joint effort to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Promax Automotive Supplier Center near the Nissan assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi has been approved by FEMA and Homeland Security as an official collection site.
Promax dedicated a large portion of the 200,000 square foot warehouse to the project. Yazaki North America will provide planning and operations support.
Several truckloads of relief supplies have already been channelled through the facility. The team will also initiate a "grass roots" effort among the automotive supplier community to gather critical supplies for people affected by the storm.
"There are a lot of good people in our industry who want to help but just don't know how," said Rich Doran, Senior Vice President of Promax. "We will provide a way for those folks to make a difference," Doran said.
The team will ask automotive suppliers and their associates to gather critical items such as toiletries, medical and clothing items and ship them to the Canton facility. "We are contacting suppliers all over the U.S. by FedEx, mail and telephone," stated Jim Haney, Promax Business Development Manager in the Southeast.
Once the items arrive, Promax and Yazaki associates will sort and prepare them for shipment to the affected areas under the direction of FEMA.
"We are excited to work with our fellow tier suppliers to provide help for those affected by this terrible tragedy," said Chris Stanley, manager of Canton Operations for Yazaki North America. "These people need help now and it's up to us. I'm confident our industry will step up to this challenge," stated Stanley.
Suppliers must register to participate in this program. Registration is available on the WEB at www.promaxauto.com, or by contacting Jim Haney at 601- 566-0019 or Chris Stanley at 601-238-0076.
Also in the supplier community, Bosch has announced that it will pledge $100,000 to support relief efforts from the aftermath of Katrina. In addition, the company will match dollar-for-dollar contributions made by Bosch associates to the American Red Cross.
Specifically, $50,000 will be donated to the American Red Cross to address immediate disaster relief. An additional $50,000 will be made available to aid long-term recovery efforts as needs dictate, such as providing Bosch power tools for rebuilding projects.
"All of us are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the people who have suffered terrible loss as a result of Hurricane Katrina," said Kurt Liedtke, chairman, president and CEO of Robert Bosch Corporation.
"Our company and its associates have a long history of providing assistance during times of crisis, and we will continue this tradition by providing aid to the victims of this devastating natural disaster."
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