In July 2018, Vermeer headquarters took a direct hit from the most severe tornado to hit Iowa in more than three years. On that day, the company was celebrating its 70th year of business and hosted more than 1,000 customers, employees, dealers and other visitors on premises. Thanks to excellent shelter facilities and a quick emergency response among company leadership, not one person was physically injured. Vermeer, however, lost more than 4,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and suffered extensive damage to its work spaces, inventory and machinery.
Fortunately, this is just the beginning of the story. Due to impressive preparedness, robust insurance and Vermeer’s dedication to providing best-in-industry products and services to customers – the company was able to resume operations the following Monday (the storm hit on a Thursday and Vermeer was only closed for one full day on that Friday). While at The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) 2019 showcasing the game changing XR2 Vacuum Excavator, Vermeer President & CEO Jason Andriga and President of Industrial Doug Hundt spoke with contributing editor Becky Schultz about the company’s inspirational story, commitment to customers and newest products.
