Rebuilding Hope After Hurricane Helene: CES Augusta’s Commitment to the Community
When Hurricane Helene swept through Augusta, GA, it left a path of devastation in its wake. Over a month later, with some residents still left without power, homes still being rebuilt, and the community in need of rapid relief, in moments like these, community and resilience shine brightest — and the team at City Electric Supply (CES) Augusta Downtown, led by Branch Manager Ashlea Fillingham, went above and beyond to ensure the community could begin to rebuild.
CES Augusta Downtown, which opened just three years ago, quickly became a beacon of hope in this challenging time. Fillingham’s leadership and the strong relationships she built within the industry proved invaluable. Field Sales Representative of Southwire Company, William Highland, a trusted partner and friend of Fillingham as well as CES Augusta Downtown, worked closely with her to deliver critical electrical supplies to the region, including SER and SEU service wire pallets, SOOW, and XHHW that arrived overnight — an incredible feat in disaster relief.
A power partnership: CES Augusta Downtown and Southwire
The partnership between Fillingham and Highland is a testament to the power of collaboration. Having worked together since the branch’s inception, Fillingham knew that she could count on Highland to come through when it mattered most.
“I knew if I called William, he’d make it work to have something here for us the next day,” Fillingham shared.
That call resulted in several pallets worth of wire delivered to the Augusta area overnight. While overnight shipments after a hurricane would be a logistics challenge for many, Highland made sure a dedicated driver was able to get those materials delivered to CES Augusta Downtown.
“With the team I have backing me up at Southwire I felt confident we would be able to come through for Ashlea,” Highland explained. Sure enough, he made sure his pallets delivered. “Whenever you’re able to provide a solution that exceeds expectations, it always makes you feel good.”
These supplies were critical in helping local residents and businesses begin to restore power and rebuild. The shipment was split among the CES Augusta Downtown branch, its nearby branches within the district in Aiken and West Augusta, and Greenwood branch. In total, seven pallets of wire arrived, marking a pivotal step in bringing much-needed electrical materials to the area.
Working through the storm
The dedication of CES Augusta Downtown didn’t stop there. Even when the branch lost complete power, and their credit card machines were down, team members were all-hands-on-deck and continued to find ways to help their customers; mainly, the branch using Fillingham’s laptop paired with her hotspot service to make cash sale tickets.
Still, CES Augusta Downtown had their focus remain on ensuring that every customer had what they needed to restore their homes and businesses.
“I think the CES district stepped up in a very big way; that’s the kind of team they have. It’s incredibly impressive,” emphasized Highland.
“We just want everybody to have power back,” Fillingham added.
The collaboration with Southwire wasn’t the only key partnership during this time. Other vendors like Pass & Seymour, Topaz, GCD Sales, and Western Tube also stepped up, shipping materials overnight to aid in the relief efforts. The willingness of these vendors to come together in times of need speaks volumes about the relationships Fillingham has cultivated during her time at CES Augusta.
Further, the surrounding branches in the area came together to help. CES Augusta West provided their box truck for travel to CES Lake Oconee located in Eatonton, GA, to pick up Powermate portable generators; their driver was also sent to pick up conduit in Atlanta. Finally, CES Aiken arranged for Topaz weather heads to ship overnight.
Community at the heart of CES Augusta Downtown
From the local team working tirelessly in the aftermath of the storm to the vendors who provided critical supplies, it was a collective effort to rebuild and restore.
As Fillingham reflected, “I take pride in having and building those relationships with all of our reps.”
Her leadership and those strong relationships are what enabled CES Augusta Downtown to make such a meaningful impact in the community.
While the relief efforts are ongoing — there are still residents without power — Fillingham and her team, along with their partners, continue to push forward. The commitment of both CES and Southwire to helping rebuild the local community has been unwavering. Fillingham’s drive and dedication to her customers and community have shown that, in times of crisis, the relationships we build can make all the difference.
As Augusta continues to recover, it’s clear that CES Augusta Downtown will be there and continue to help restore power, hope, and a sense of normalcy to the community. Through their strong partnerships and unwavering commitment, Fillingham and her team have shown what it means to go above and beyond for the people they serve.