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News March 28, 2023

Promo Pros Offer Aid, Deal With Fallout Following Deadly Tornadoes

The twisters affected parts of the South, with communities in Mississippi the hardest hit. As of this writing, more than 20 fatalities have been confirmed.

By  Christopher Ruvo

After the tornadoes swept through not far from her, Tammy Evans simply had to take action.

The owner of ZiPrint Inc. (asi/366069) arranged for an 18-wheeler to be stationed outside her promo products distributorship in Grenada, MS, on the morning of Monday, March 27.

The tractor-trailer was there to store essential supplies that Evans was asking folks to donate. Come Wednesday, Evans’ son-in-law – a long-haul trucker by trade – was going to deliver the water, clothing, blankets, food, medicine and other goods to Rolling Fork, MS, a community that was destroyed by an EF4 tornado on Friday night. From there, he planned to make additional deliveries, if supply levels allowed, to other Mississippi communities – Silver City and Black Hawk.

“It could have been us,” Evans told ASI Media, her voice catching as tears came. “It’s just so bad. People need help. We need to give them all the help we can.”

Evans was among the promotional products professionals offering aid and dealing with fallout from tornadoes that ripped through parts of the South over the weekend of March 24 through March 26.

According to authorities, more than 20 people have died due to the twisters, with nearly all of those fatalities occurring in Mississippi. At least one death was reported in Alabama. Another tornado appears to have struck in the area of West Point, GA, near LaGrange, GA, but as of this writing there were no reported fatalities in the Peach State.

“This is a horrific event,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said during a news briefing. “It’s heartbreaking. There’s really no other way in which to describe it. It is absolutely heartbreaking.”

Evans, her business and family were spared the worst of the storms and are OK. Even so, clients were among those that the tornadoes impacted, and business was at a standstill on March 27. That wasn’t much of a concern for Evans, though. Her attention was focused on relief efforts, as she took steps like calling around to pharmacies to gather children’s medicine to load into the 18-wheeler.

“Our door is open, but nobody is ordering promo items right now,” said Evans. “If people are coming by, it’s to donate. We hope to fill the truck.”

Barry Brewer, owner of Greenwood, MS-based Brewer Screen Printing, said he was fortunate that his business did not sustain damage. Nonetheless, he told ASI Media that sales/operations were likely to be on hold for a couple of days.

On a personal level, the storm destroyed a camper Brewer owned that was stored at his sister’s house in Black Hawk, MS. The roof of his sister’s home was damaged, but there were no major structural issues, he said. Other homes in the community were ruined, he said. Nearby, an old schoolhouse was razed.

“There was nothing left but the splinters,” Brewer told ASI Media, adding that his immediate family and friends are fine.

In Georgia, LaGrange-based supplier Logo Mats (asi/67849) had no power at its main facility on Monday morning in the wake of severe storms. “Our first shift was canceled,” company President Miles Wadsworth told ASI Media on March 27. “We are facing another day of bad weather, but we hope to get through it soon.”

Jay Harman, another LaGrange promo pro, was feeling blessed despite dealing with storm impacts. At his business’ distribution center, there were leaks here and there to contend with and cleanup related to those due to the heavy rains, but nothing major, he said.

The regional manager with Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business (ASB; asi/120075) told ASI Media that so far, he and employees have not faced significant personal effects from the storms. There was a delayed opening Monday.

“The tornadoes that hit this weekend were probably 10 to 15 miles south of us,” Harman said. “We’re very fortunate compared to what others are going through.”

This isn’t Harman’s first near-miss with a tornado in 2023. Earlier this year, a twister roared by only a quarter mile or so from the distribution center. After that storm, Harman and his team donated clothing samples they’d accumulated in the course of business to a shelter. Similar outreach could be forthcoming this time around once the storms subside.  

“When these things happen,” Harman said, “it’s so overwhelming for communities.”

A number of other promo companies ASI Media spoke with in affected states said they were operating normally on Monday, without significant personal or business effects. “Thankfully everybody here is OK,” said Madelyn Abbott, head of sales at Flora, MS-based distributor TeeWhites (asi/335160).

President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi. Federal disaster assistance is now available to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes.