Ameristar/Assa Abloy

and how it will impact our business for years. We can expect to do really well for a couple of years, then business will decrease for a couple of years. Every fence that would have trickled in over 12 years will be rebuilt in roughly two years. We hope that our regular customers will be patient with us but at the same time, we realize we can’t ask anyone to wait too long for their fence repairs.”

Charles, Bryan and their staff are dealing with their own personal damaged property while they are handling the monumental task of repairs for their customers. “We were lucky that our shop made out very well, but many of us lost our homes and are still displaced after eight months,” Bryan says.

COVID-19 has affected supplies nationwide, and two major hurricanes in a region bring another layer of delay for Southwest Louisiana. “Predicting how much material to stock is tough. Financing material is tough. With prices as volatile as ever, quoting jobs is tough,” explains Bryan. “There is no formula, but we used the lessons we learned after Hurricane Rita. That experience helped us to estimate the amount of equipment and material needed, and to hire the number of installers needed.”

Bryan gives special recognition to Robbie Oxer, general manager. “His instincts and hard work are a huge reason that we have been so efficient after these storms and successful through the years. He was instrumental in keeping phones, computers and internet working during the weeks following the storms when we had no electricity. Robbie came to work with us after Hurricane Rita and we’re fortunate to have his expertise,” he continued. “There are so many people in this company who are heroes after these storms. My sister, Jaimee, handles sales and accounts payable; we wouldn’t be here without her. It’s a true team effort to continue in business after such an experience.”

Charles and Bryan say they’ve learned many business lessons from rebuilding after hurricanes. “Building a company and growing over time is one thing, but having to do it overnight is something that can only be realized through the experience of it,” Bryan says.

While no one wants to experience devastating storms again, the lessons learned from Hurricanes Rita, Laura and Delta have made lifelong impacts on residents and business owners throughout Southwest Louisiana, including Hercules.

As Bryan says, “We’ve learned so many valuable lessons and have met a lot of wonderful people we may not have met otherwise.”

Photo by Tim Mueller

Photo by Tim Mueller

Hercules Fence is a third-generation, familyowned company specializing in aluminum, chain link, wood and ornamental fencing as well as automatic control gates. Learn more by visiting www.goherculesfence.com.