Fla.-based distributor CCTV Outlet braves the local elements

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Working to rebuild its office here after Hurricane Jean caused $20,000 in damage and ruined $70,000 in inventory, CCTV Outlet moved its operations back into its renovated building in early March. The move occurs six months after the hurricane traveled through the West Coast of Florida, one of four to afflict the area in 2004. The business, a distributor of CCTV products that has four locations in Florida and employs 24, was forced to move into a temporary location after the disaster left its location here in disarray. “With the amount of water we received, we had to knock everything down and start fresh,” said Moises Faroy, owner of the company. “They just had to redo everything.” Faroy said the majority of the damage was due to roof problems. The tar and paper on top of the building’s tin roof blew off during the storm and caused the corrugated tin roof to leak. That leaking caused ceiling tiles to react to the excess water. “A lot of the ceiling tiles were made of a material that when wet, swells and becomes like cement,” Faroy said. “Those tiles dropped down and destroyed furniture, monitors and computers. They just weighed a ton and came crashing down.” Lucky for the company, its landlord had extra bays available where the company could temporarily relocate so that its office could be renovated. Faroy said the major problem with being displaced was the lack of organization he felt the company could maintain. “We were very organized in the old spot,” he said. “Everything packed up temporarily can be hard to locate.” A lot of businesses in the area were affected by the hurricane, but Faroy said the scope of the damage and the frequency of the hurricanes was rare. “We had a very good run for a lot of years,” he said. The project to fix the office ran about six months and Faroy said since contractors were busy with the amount of work in the area, there were a number of delays. He said the relocation took its toll on business, but the company, which makes a point of having products in stock for quick delivery to customers, experienced a turnaround in December 2004. He said local resident and customers were helpful during the ordeal. “When you see the damage, it just strikes you,” Faroy said. “A lot of people came over to help us move.” Even with the damage and the cost associated with it, the company was determined to roll with the punches. “What can you do?” Faroy said, “You just have to get it done and rebuild.”