The power of being present: When Hurricane Beryl hit, Fastenal was ready

Three days before Hurricane Beryl was to hit Houston, forecasters downgraded it to a tropical storm.

But Shawna Robinson had an uneasy feeling. As a native Texan, she’s been through a few hurricanes in her life.

Shawna continued to plan ahead – at home and at work . In her role, she supplies a Houston chemical plant with studs, PPE, and toolroom and pipeline supplies.

Barreling across the gulf, Beryl quickly sped up. By Sunday, the weather rapidly began to change.

While other suppliers scrambled last minute to find employees for help (on Sunday afternoon) and to locate extra coolers and tarps, Shawna remained calm and focused.

She asked her employee, Wade, to ride out the storm at the plant. Not uncommon work for a Fastenal Onsite .

“If something goes wrong at a chemical plant, not only could it cost our partner money, but it could also be really dangerous,” Wade said.

At 6 p.m. Sunday, he arrived with his phone, an energy drink, and some snacks. For five straight hours, 60-mile-an-hour winds barraged the area. Wade hunkered down; he became a visible sign Fastenal was there to help. Throughout the night, he issued PPE and supplies to workers who remained on the job.

Shawna was in constant communication with Wade throughout the night and said, “This is just the culture at Fastenal. This is how we work – whether there’s a hurricane or not.”

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