HAI Picks Up ‘Outstanding Company’ Award While Still Picking Up From Katrina
ABITA SPRINGS, La.
New Orleans-based manufacturer Home Automation Inc. (HAI) received two doses of welcome good news – winning a top award from the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) while resuming shipping of its products for the first time since Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged its main facility last month. At the same time, the company recently learned that damage to the New Orleans facility was much more severe than anticipated.
HAI was recently awarded with CABA’s Chairman’s Pinnacle Award for Outstanding Company for what the association says is the year’s “most innovative and progressive leader in the connected home sector.”
Meanwhile, HAI began shipping products on Oct. 7 in what the company says will be the first of a multiphased plan to return to normal operations. Shipping priority is going toward orders placed before Katrina hit, with the lowest priority going to international shipments.
According to a statement by HAI President Jay McLellan, HAI’s main building in New Orleans sustained more substantial damage than originally feared and the company is not expected to return until at least Spring 2006. In the meantime, manufacturing and other operations have been moved to a temporary facility in nearby Abita Springs, La., while a temporary engineering office has been set up in Mandeville, La.
“Rest assured, HAI is a tough, resilient and resourceful company that will weather this tragedy,” McLellan said. “We are operating under a board-approved operational mode called the ‘HAI Resurgence Plan,’ which calls for phased recovery of all of our services over the next six months, starting with production of product.”
HAI says items sent back for repair before the hurricane hit will be returned within the next two weeks, with full processing of returns and repairs expected to begin on Nov. 1.
Technical support will continue to be maintained by sales staff outside the affected area through contact numbers on HAI’s Web site at www.homeauto.com.
HAI’s phone system remains down, though callers can hear a recording updating HAI’s status and leave messages at (800) 229-7256.
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