Beaverton, Mich. — Catastrophic flooding in Michigan has knocked out the phones and internet for Brown Machinery Group in Beaverton, but the manufacturer of thermoforming machines and tooling remains open and has set up an alternative communication process.
Beaverton is located about 25 miles from Midland, where people were evacuated after rivers swelled and two dams gave way after days of heavy rains.
Beaverton experienced "minor" flooding compared to "extensive" damage to its east, Lynn Govitz, spokeswoman for Brown Machinery LLC, said in an email to Plastics News.
"Luckily the Beaverton dam held up or it could have been much worse," Govitz said.
Still, she has no word on when the company's phone and Internet service will be restored. In a letter to customers, the company lists cell phone numbers for staff that may not be reachable by email.
"It appears that 2020 is going to be one for the record books. We have experienced historic flooding that has not been seen in the past 500 years. This has taken away our ability to communicate with you. Our phone system and email services rely on the internet, and those two modes of communication are down," the letter states.
To reach a Brown representative about service, call Ken Haines at 989-859-274; for spare parts, call John Block at 989-965-5196; for sales, call Bob Gordert at 989-245-4856; and for manufacturing, call Brian Keeley at 989-329-2492.
"Rest assured we are still here for you. We are processing orders, servicing machines and our manufacturing facility is fully functional," the letter says. "We are thankful we have not heard of any loss of life thus far. The Beaverton community has come together and are supporting those in need."
Beaverton is a small city with 1,070 people that bills itself as the thermoforming capital of the world after former Dow employees who were experts in the use of polystyrene started their own businesses there back in the 1940s.