Alloyfold NZ Completes Quake Cleanup

30 October 2010

More than a month after a massive earthquake struck New Zealand, those at Alloyfold headquarters in Christchurch say business is just about back to normal. However, outside business walls, cleanup and aftershocks continue. On Sept. 3, the city was struck by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that caused widespread devastation to buildings and homes across the Canterbury region with no loss of life. The earthquake occurred at 4:35 p.m. local time in New Zealand, with an epicenter about 30 mi., or 45 km, away from Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The most recent earthquake prior to this was in June 1994. When arriving at work after the quake, Alloyfold staff members were met with a chaotic scene as most of the 20-ft. high warehouse racking had toppled in a domino effect leaving stock and equipment scattered in a huge pile of debris that was both a daunting and dangerous prospect to rectify. Staff members have worked around the clock to complete the cleanup of the company’s main warehouse facility and get the business fully operational once again. Murray Kennedy, Managing Director, said the staff members have been incredible. “Within a week we had new racking up and stock reorganized, and we can now function almost normally again. We have a really great bunch of people here.” Other businesses and homes in the city didn’t fare so well. There are some 350 properties being declared uninhabitable and some areas were without power and clean water for almost a week. Aftershocks continue to shake the city. The quake caused damage to some rural towns closer to the epicentre, as well as the central city and suburbs. Damaged areas included buildings and roads, many of which are now demolished. “It’s been sad for some people to lose their businesses, homes, sewage systems, etc., but thankfully nobody died which is rather amazing,” Kennedy says. “During that first week, everyone was in shock that we had survived a magnitude 7.1 earthquake — the same magnitude as the Haiti earthquake — and with no loss of life.” An associate ARA member for the past ten years, Alloyfold supplies the rental industry with its unique aluminum folding chairs. “We’d like to thank customers for your patience with us over the past couple of weeks, and assure you that it won't be long till we’re fully operational again,” Kennedy said.