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September 3, 2005
Message from Jay McLellan, HAI President
To our Customers, Vendors, Employees and Friends:
Our prayers and hopes go out to every person affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. As with most businesses in the region, HAI is not able to return to its headquarters in New Orleans East. Therefore, we must temporarily suspend operations until we get back to the building or temporarily relocate.
HAI will survive. We believe that our new facility in New Orleans East was not heavily damaged, nor the contents flooded. The area is being pumped out now.
Update 9/9/05: Our wily Brian Yokum managed to get to the building and confirm that flood water did not enter the building, and while there is some roof damage, the building appears secure and dry.
Communications in the Gulf South are difficult. Therefore, we have asked our Sales Team, most of whom are located out of New Orleans to serve as tech support resources for now. They can be found on the
Contacts section of this site.
Many of our products and all of our circuit boards are made outside of New Orleans. We will reroute incoming shipments of product and establish a final assembly and quality control operation as quickly as possible.
We intend to provide the CS05 show special as advertised. It is a great deal on a Pro II, touchscreen, console and cable for audio systems. It will be one of our first packages to resume shipment. Place orders for late September delivery. Other products will be available in the same time frame.
To our Customers: Have faith, we are here for the long haul. We are close to delivering many new products and will be continuing our product development efforts. We believe New Orleans to be of strategic importance to our country’s transportation and energy infrastructure and will emerge a better city in the long run. If you have jobs closing and can’t wait, please put in an inexpensive burg panel to cover the basics, then upgrade as HAI products become available. We anticipate resuming shipments in late September.
To our Vendors: Thank you for your continuing support. Please hold shipments to New Orleans until further notice. We may ask you to ship to a temporary location, possibly add manufacturing steps or drop ship finished goods to our customers. We have religiously paid your invoices on time. We may need reasonable extensions of credit terms. Please watch this web site for shipping and invoicing instructions.
To our Employees: We pray that you are safe. We have heard from most of you. Contact us at
jay.mclellan@homeauto.com with all of your contact information. Indicate your current whereabouts and ability to temporarily relocate.
More...
Please check in as soon as possible.
File for any and all available financial assistance.
We are continuing your health benefits.
You can access your 401K savings by calling:
Paychex 800-401-3999 or http:\\benefits.paychex.com.
If you plan to do this, do it within 2 weeks.
Stay tuned to this website for developments. Don't lose hope!
To our Friends: All of us at HAI have had our lives turned upside down. We dearly appreciate the kind words, support and encouragement that you have offered. Even if we don’t respond immediately, we are getting your messages. It makes a difference. Thank you. We understand that a fund has been set up for displaced HAI employees. Please donate if you can.
What else can you do?
Donate to a good charity for the victims who are destitute.
Conserve energy. Drive the speed limit or below.
Keep buying HAI.
We must take care of our families and loved ones, help as best we can, mourn and commit to get on with life and business. We can and we will.
Jay McLellan, President
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