PERMASHELTER HITS STRIDE BUILDING TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS IN HAITI

South Georgia Company Finds Secure Port Location Ideal for Serving Haiti’s Housing Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 24, 2011 --FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2010 – At first glance it seems like an unlikely marriage: a transitional shelter manufacturing operation nestled between a rice warehouse and a cement factory. But, according to Matt Williams, Director of Marketing and Government Affairs for PermaShelter S.A., a subsidiary of South Georgia company Harbor Homes, LLC, the location couldn’t be more ideal.

“We were thrilled when we found this facility. It is a secure shipping port with multiple security zones. The port is located just miles from Leogane, the epicenter of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in the spring of 2010. And we have had no problem finding skilled laborers to build transitional shelters and other disaster housing solutions.” PermaShelter relies on 80 skilled contractors to build these transitional shelters—or, t-shelters, as they are commonly referred to by the NGOs.

PermaShelter has been operating in Haiti since shortly after the earthquake, and it is currently under contract to build several thousand homes over the next few months. The company also provides raw materials, housing kits, and other parts and materials used by nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits to construct homes for Haiti’s displaced population.

“Establishing our base of operations at a sea port enables us to quickly and efficiently receive shipments, clear customs, and unload and warehouse those materials in support of our manufacturing operation. Additionally, PermaShelter maintains a fleet of delivery trucks to enable us to transport supplies and materials inland to specified delivery points throughout Haiti.”

PermaShelter is currently producing in excess of 100 transitional shelters per week, with an estimated capacity of around 500 shelters per week. According to PermaShelter Vice President Matthew Batson, “We are a Haitian company that is manufacturing disaster housing in Haiti using Haitian workers. We give back to the community, contribute to the economy, and provide safe and reliable housing. At the end of the day, it’s all about helping people in need.”

The Harbor Homes family of companies includes PermaShelter, S.A., Intrepid Structures, and Outlast Emergency Products. Harbor Homes manufacturers, delivers, and assembles a wide range of disaster relief housing, transitional shelters, permanent homes, field support structures, and other non-food item (NFI) relief supplies throughout the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Harbor Homes is a major supplier of disaster housing to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). PermaShelter is the exclusive distributor of the Concrete MD concrete mixer in Haiti.

More information can be found online at http://www.harborhomesllc.com/

disaster housing     earthquake     Emergency housing     haiti     harbor homes     PermaShelter     Transitional Shelters