City Electric Supply Provides Aid to the Bahamas with NSI Industries and Blue Sea Capital
Relief Efforts in the Bahamas
Shortly after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas over Labor Day weekend, City Electric Supply, NSI Industries, and Blue Sea Capital partnered together to provide generators, tools, tape, cable ties, gloves, and other supplies to the island of Grand Cay during its critical hour of need.
Grand Cay, home to less than 500 people, is the northern-most inhabited island in the Abaco chain and is located 40 miles northeast of Grand Bahama Island. For nearly 40 hours, the island experienced sustained hurricane-force winds, often in excess of 150 miles per hour. Regarded as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history, Grand Cay was fortunate to have seen far less destruction from Dorian than other neighboring islands only a short distance to the south.
“We knew as soon as the hurricane had passed that we needed to do something to help the people of the Bahamas,” said Blue Sea Capital Co-Managing Partner Rick Wandoff.
Putting a Team Together
Wandoff enlisted the support of NSI Industries CEO G.R. Schrotenboer, and that same day, the NSI team had assembled a pallet of critical electrical and safety products destined for Florida, where it would then be transported across the ocean to Grand Cay.
As these supplies were being gathered, NSI Industries SVP of Sales Tom Wallace presented the effort to CES Co-COO John Gray, who immediately agreed to help.
“Before I hung up the phone with John Gray, I knew that the only limiting factor was going to be the size of the boat to transport the supplies,” Tom Wallace said. “My colleagues at NSi and our partners at CES could not have been more generous. I am truly humbled to work with such fine people.”
On the ground in Jupiter, Florida, CES Regional Manager Mike Bertone did the heavy lifting, literally, loading multiple 250-pound generators, tools, and even a chain saw to go along with the supplies provided by NSI Industries.
Giving Supplies, Receiving Smiles
After making the 90-mile crossing from West Palm Beach to Grand Cay, the Blue Sea Capital team arrived to find the island’s docks destroyed and only a sea wall that remained.
Captain Matt Triggs, a member of the team who helped drop off supplies, said that seeing everyday Americans and Bahamians working together to unload food, water, clothing, and other supplies was one of the most touching parts of their relief efforts.
“Everyone was smiling — those dropping off supplies, and those receiving them, knowing it was going to make an immediate difference as they recovered from such a devastating disaster.”
Some of the biggest smiles of the day came from a mother and her daughter when they saw a generator that was large enough to not only power their home but could also provide power to three or four neighboring houses. For the father of that same family, all it took was a utility tool set for him to breakout in a huge smile. The tools to begin the clean-up and healing process after Hurricane Dorian was all he wanted.
“We feel fortunate to have been able to deliver these much-needed supplies on behalf of the generous people of City Electric Supply and NSI Industries” added Amy, Captain Triggs’ wife. “Seeing everyone so grateful and happy, despite all that they have been through and the challenges that most certainly lie ahead, was absolutely wonderful.”
“We just want to give a warm thank you to CES and NSI from the people of Grand Cay, Bahamas, and the Blue Sea Capital team for your support during this time of need,” Wandoff concluded.
Although the teams were just doing what they knew in their heart needed to be done, we cannot be prouder of them for caring about those during this hard time and providing aid when it was needed most.