Industrial Distribution

Jack Keough

Eagan captivated nearly 1,800 attendees at ISA
June 1, 2006

Lee Eagan is not a politician, and he is not a professional public speaker. He is a businessman, a well-respected distributor who serves as the head of the Oliver Van Horn Co., headquartered in New Orleans.

But Eagan captivated a crowd of nearly 1,800 attendees at the Industrial Supply Association’s Annual Conference & Trade Fair May 21 as he described in graphic detail the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated his company, his hometown and the Gulf Coast. (Please click on to www.inddist.com for a full copy of his speech).

Eagan spoke matter-of-factly but in great personal detail about how the hurricane has affected the region. He emphasized that the Gulf Coast isn’t looking for a handout but needs help and protection to prepare for the possibility of another Category 5 hurricane. He specified that help includes: structural and non-structural flood control, wetland restoration and levees. “We are entitled and should receive the same share of revenue for our offshore oil and gas production as the West Coast does, and we also need Congress to support President Bush’s relief package,” Eagan said.

He asked that all attendees contact their congressmen as well as their U.S. Senators to support the relief package. It’s something we should all do.

At the same time, Eagan offered a number of proposals that business owners should implement. He recommended every company develop an-in depth disaster plan that includes a backup system for phones, servers and databases, and duplicates of all important papers (kept at separate locations), such as titles and insurance policies. He also suggested that each business owner read and clearly understand the scope of his insurance policy and whether or not it includes a contingency for business interruptions.

Lee Eagan’s been there. He and his company have lived through one of the worst natural disasters in our country’s history, a storm that cost more than 1,000 lives and billions of dollars in damage, including the loss of more than 100 years of records and archives from Oliver Van Horn’s history.

But Eagan refused to bemoan his fate. Instead, he is looking forward to the rebirth of his city and his company. But his region does indeed need help. Please contact your representatives in Washington to support this relief package. The Industrial Supply Assn. has established a page on its Web site that offers information about the hurricane relief efforts and how you can help. For more information, go to www.isapartners.org.

Posted by Jack Keough on June 1, 2006 | Comments (0)