In September 2024, Storm Helene hit Greer, South Carolina, with full force, causing significant damage to our office building and the region’s infrastructure. In addition to the strong winds, massive water ingress caused the office building to become uninhabitable. Walls and floors were soaked, and mold growth made it impossible to work in the offices. In addition, fallen trees and damaged power lines led to prolonged power outages and interrupted water supplies, which made the situation even more difficult.

Thanks to the tireless commitment of our SAR USA team, operations were nevertheless able to continue. While the office renovations began, operations were temporarily relocated to the workshop. The team continued to work under extreme conditions – in sometimes freezing temperatures – to ensure that all ongoing projects, such as preparations for the winter shutdown, were completed on time. This allowed the project business to continue almost without interruption.

At the same time, extensive renovation work was carried out in the office building. In addition to the renovation of walls and floors, numerous infrastructural damages were repaired to make the building habitable again. The move into the renovated offices began at the end of January 2025, even though not all rooms have been fully completed. The conference room and kitchen are still being worked on, and blinds are still missing from the windows. However, progress is visible and the team has done an excellent job of continuing operations even under these difficult conditions.

A big thank you to the entire SAR USA team for their remarkable performance and tireless efforts during this challenging time. The flexibility and dedication of the team has enabled us to maintain operations despite the significant damage and to move forward with the renovation work quickly. We are proud of this impressive achievement and look forward with confidence to the full completion of the renovations.