Superstorm Sandy Rattles Printers in the NJ/NY Area
PHILADELPHIA—Hurricane Sandy unleashed a fury of destruction on the New Jersey shore and New York City on Oct. 29-30, 2012, claiming the lives of roughly 110 people in the region, leaving millions without power and, for many, leaving homes and businesses in ruins.
The damage was catastrophic to a number of printers, who were flooded out and (as of Dec. 1) remain shut down. Others—like Design Distributors of Deer Park, NY—have opened their facilities to allow impacted printers to use their gear.
"I've talked to about a half-dozen companies affected," said Tim Freeman, president of Printing Industries Alliance (PIA), the affiliate which serves the New York/North Jersey region, hit hardest by Sandy. "The ones we're not hearing from have been hit bad. A couple of companies lost power, one had its roof blown off and has water damage."
PIA sent out a letter to membership, offering services from placing work to dealing with insurance companies, to getting assistance from the federal government. Help is being offered to PIA members and non-members alike.
"We've gotten responses from printers around the country, offering help," Freeman notes.
Earthcolor, based in Parsippany, NJ, was operating with minimal difficulty. Two days after the storm, only the Parsippany (Walsh) facility remained without power.
Mimeo.com rerouted the work from its Newark, NJ, facility to its plant in Memphis, TN, notes Anthony Zaccone, marketing manager. The Newark branch resumed a day later.