SBA

Posted by: Michael Byrne, Federal Coordinating Officer, NY

Brian Robbins grandfather, Harry, began producing paper bags with a folding machine in his garage in 1935. As a youngster, Robbins’ father would ride his bicycle to hand out flyers to promote business. In 1940, Harry had the great fortune to meet a wooden pail maker – an individual who produced wooden shipping crates – who introduced him to corrugated boxes.

A lot of years later, the household operation went onto to turn into Cornell Paper &amp Box Firm, a $ 14 million-a-year enterprise positioned on Brooklyn’s historic waterfront in Red Hook. Even on a cloudy day, a single can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, raising her torch in the mist.

The organization no longer manufactures paper items, but buys and distributes corrugated boxes throughout the U.S. Brian has been operating the business for the last 15 years with his father and for significantly of that time has watched nervously as the water, which in some areas is about 15 feet from his 150-year-old brick warehouse, eroded the shoreline. In early 2000, the pier outdoors the warehouse ultimately collapsed.

Brian stated he knew it was a matter of time prior to the erosion would make the building vulnerable to a massive storm, like a Nor’easter. He was concerned that a single of the walls would simply be knocked proper out with the force of a surge.

When Hurricane Sandy inundated Red Hook with floodwaters in October, Robbin’s warehouse took a massive hit – but not as bad had he not initiated a significant mitigation project. 4 years earlier, trucking in 1,500 cubic yards of armored stone, Robbins spent half a million dollars to construct riprap, an embankment of huge stones to stop erosion, and a retaining wall to protect his home. Even though the low-lying land was covered in about five feet of water following Sandy, flooding the warehouse, Robbins says items would have been a lot worse. He had no doubt the outer wall would have been knocked out had he not prevented the erosion from continuing.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Organization, Inc., stands next to his company which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his house by building a bulk head wall to protect his home from storm surge. Though Robbins building was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that without having the mitigation measures, he would have lost his complete building.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Brian Robbins, owner of Cornell Paper and Box Company, Inc., stands subsequent to his company which abuts Upper New York Bay. Robbins took the initiative to mitigate his property by constructing a stone wall to shield his house from storm surge. Despite the fact that Robbins developing was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, he said that with no the mitigation steps, he would have lost his complete creating.

Robbins began the project in early 2008 and completed by September of 2010. Robbins joked that he had to get approvals from every government agency in existence. In the middle of it, the economic markets crashed and he spoke with his father about no matter whether it was the best time to go forward. But he decided it HAD to be accomplished or he’d be in worse shape, if a significant storm hit.

Even with the mitigation work, one wall of the warehouse sustained a huge crack that will price about $ 270,000 to repair. Cleanup will run one more $ 400,000. In addition, the flooding inundated about $ 900,000 worth of soggy boxes. His flood insurance coverage will cover $ 500,000 to repair the developing and yet another $ 500,000 for damaged inventory. (Flood insurance coverage coverage for organization is various than coverage for individual homeowners, which tops out at $ 250,000 for structures and $ one hundred,000 for contents).

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. four, 2012 — Workers at nearby Red Hook enterprise Cornell Paper and Box Organization, continue cleanup of boxes inside the warehouse that was flooded throughout Hurricane Sandy. Company impacted by the storm may speak to the Tiny Company Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA company recovery centers.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2012 — Local Red Hook company, Cornell Paper and Box Company, continues cleanup of boxes at the warehouse that was flooded for the duration of Hurricane Sandy. Company impacted by the storm may make contact with the Small Organization Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA company recovery centers.

To make up the distinction, he will have to take out a half a million dollar low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Modest Company Administration (which also supplies low-interest loans to home owners to repair disaster harm). It will take a handful of months for Cornell to be in a position to residence the paper inventory needed to bring company back to the way it was. In the meantime, Robbins is trying to make up the loss by renting out emptied areas of his warehouse for storage space, (one particular client is storing his motorcycles exactly where stacks of cardboard typically sit).

Even so, Robbins estimates that if he had not taken the mitigation measures, it would have expense him an additional million dollars out of pocket. Now the program is to bring in yet another 400 tons of armored stone to replace what Sandy took away.

Robbins says that immediately after generating the repairs he’ll be even better protected for an additional storm. And save another million dollars – or far more.

After a presidentially declared disaster, FEMA offers funding to the state for mitigation grants. For far more information on applying for 1, right here is a link to HMGP FAQs.
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