While the Houston area avoided extensive damage when Hurricane Katrina hammered the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Peter Hirsch considers the infamous event – the costliest hurricane in U.S. history – an important wake-up call.
At the time, Hirsch was six years into operating his eponymous promotional products company, Counselor Top 40 supplier Hirsch (asi/61005), which is headquartered in Houston. Seeing the devastation Katrina dealt across Mississippi and Louisiana, including fatal blows to small businesses like his, prompted reflection – then action.
“I realized then we needed to have a disaster preparedness plan in place,” Hirsch says.
“You have to protect your business, your staff and your customers, and that’s tough to do if you’re flying by the seat of your pants.”
Peter Hirsch, Hirsch (asi/61005)
So, Hirsch and his leadership team began crafting a plan, one that has evolved and expanded as Hirsch’s firm has mushroomed to 140 employees and multiplied its book of business. That foundational and iterative work has helped Hirsch’s company endure subsequent natural disasters that have clubbed Houston, including Hurricane Ike in 2008, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and intense windstorms last year.
“You have to protect your business, your staff and your customers, and that’s tough to do if you’re flying by the seat of your pants,” Hirsch says, adding that promotional products companies like his trade in reliability and dependability as much as hard goods. “You never want people nervous to place their next order, so having a plan to keep operations rolling is paramount.”
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