Response teams arrived within four hours after a catastrophic storm to repair damaged gas lines
a Case Study by Collins Commercial Services
Natural disasters create sudden, brutal realities for businesses each year. Tornadoes and severe storms come with high winds that can rip commercial properties apart, leaving businesses with repairs that cost thousands of dollars and keep their doors closed. The recent devastation in Nashville, Tennessee is only one painful example of the catastrophic damage these events can wreck in a few cruel hours.
Which begs the question: How do businesses recover? The smart ones have facility management and commercial service plans. And Collins is the one to beat.
In June of 2019 in Dallas, Texas, a sudden storm raised 71-mph winds and swept across a local Target property, which was powered by a console of solar panels the size of a basketball court and weighing thousands of pounds. The high winds ripped the console from the roof. Lifted it into the air like a kite. And flipped it onto the store’s gas lines and HVAC equipment. Then the storm passed on, as quickly as it had appeared.
Responding within four hours of the storm …
The 24-7 response team arrived. The Target store manager had called Collins when she saw the lights go out. When the technicians arrived that Sunday, only four hours later, the weather was strangely clear and cool. But the severity of the storm was immediately apparent. The store manager recalls, “Gas lines were damaged all over the roof."
Facing thousands of dollars of commercial property damage …
That included a destroyed solar panel console, smashed HVAC equipment, and damaged gas lines, the store management was also looking at the ever-increasing cost of being closed. Collins technician Jason Worley recalls, “When I arrived, I turned off the gas at the meter and began assessing the damages on the roof. I found that two very large sections of solar panels on the roof had blown over and landed on the gas pipes, breaking the gas pipes in several places. We determined that the damaged solar panels would have to be removed before the repairs to the gas and condensate pipes could be repaired.”
Collins repaired over 180 ft of gas piping in three days.
Once the massive panels were removed, the service technicians began repairing the gas and condensate pipes. They cut and removed 180 feet of damaged gas pipes and fittings, as well as 150 feet of condensate pipes. Working in the wake of the storm, they put in 100 man-hours and restored gas power to the facility in just three days. The technician says he’ll never forget it, “The job was memorable because of the nature of what happened and how we worked quickly as a team to get the store reopened.”
While disasters may be unexpected, the response of your industrial strength service provider should never be in doubt. Target’s Dallas store manager knows that better than most, “The impact a store has on a community is critical, but even more critical in a crisis situation when guests need our essential supplies most … I am beyond thankful for the quick responses of Collins.”
Collins Commercial Services provide fast and reliable services that safeguard facilities nationwide and give our commercial clients peace of mind. With our service plan, you’ll have a partner who will help you mitigate weather risks and get you back to business if a natural disaster does strike. With unmatched response time to restore order—and revenue.
Don’t Wait for Trouble
Schedule a property review to set up a service plan that protects your facilities—and keeps you in business.
