Derby Products staff, siding take on Irma

Hurricane Irma provided a test for the employees and the polypropylene siding they make at Derby Building Products.

Both workers and product passed.

The Miami-based business was without power for nine days after Irma slammed into the region with 100 mph winds and torrential rain, President Ralph Bruno said in an email Sept. 26 to Plastics News.

Fortunately, all employees were safe "after this monstrous storm," he said of the 110-member workforce, which had evacuated the plant per a local ordinance. Impressively, he added, employees returned to work and shipped orders without air-conditioning or lights every day of the outage.

The Tando and Novik brands of PP siding, which mimic shake and stone, are manufactured at the facility and shipped throughout North America. Bruno called the employees' dedication "nothing short of extraordinary."

"We shipped during the dark, hot blackout after the storm," he said.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the facility, Bruno said a demonstration wall covered with the newest Tando product, "beach house shake," passed a big test when Irma blew through Miami.

The demo wall was installed to show how the product resists moisture and retains its cedar look despite time and weather. Both the wall and product survived, Bruno said.

Full production finally resumed Sept. 21, and employees have been working around the clock — weekends included — to catch up, Bruno said, which should take them to around Oct. 1, in time for homeowners to finish summer construction projects.

"Many consumers are trying to button up the exterior of their homes prior to winter," he said.

And with proof now at the shop of just how tough its products are, Bruno expects demand to remain steady.

"Now we can say it's also hurricane-resistant and hangs tough, just like our dedicated employees," he added.