Tue, Dec 02 2008
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Published August 05, 2007 08:43 pm - MIAMI, Okla. — When Brian Barger and Larry Eller were hired by the city of Miami, their job descriptions didn’t say anything about heavy lifting. But the men took their positions as economic and community developers seriously enough to go beyond their job descriptions, roll up their sleeves and help save a longtime business from ruin during last month’s flooding. City employees lent Boat Floater a helping hand during Miami flood By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com MIAMI, Okla. — When Brian Barger and Larry Eller were hired by the city of Miami, their job descriptions didn’t say anything about heavy lifting. But the men took their positions as economic and community developers seriously enough to go beyond their job descriptions, roll up their sleeves and help save a longtime business from ruin during last month’s flooding. When Boat Floater Industries signed papers for an expansion project with the city on June 28, it was the end of six months of negotiations. Ralph Peck, vice president of marketing and sales, said company officials were estimating it would take three months to move into the new building. But only four days later, Peck said, the floodwaters were rising, and the company — which manufactures boat lifts, or hoists, that operate on air and water displacement to keep docked boats out of the water — was facing a real threat. “I got a call over the weekend that said (Miami) was flooding,” said Barger, the city’s economic development director, who helped organize the Boat Floater deal. “The last flood we had in May, Boat Floater’s lowest building had about 6 inches of water in it. I called Phil (Woodall, co-owner) and told him this was probably going to be the worst flood in our history, and he said, ‘I’m out of business then.’” The old Boat Floater operation was based out of three small buildings that totaled about 12,000 square feet. City officials say not only was the operation too small, it also was inefficient to do business in multiple buildings. Peck said the company had been plagued with flooding problems since opening in Miami in 1974. The buildings contained expensive equipment, raw materials and office files. “This flood could have wiped this company out,” Peck said. Barger said he was determined not to let that happen. He had just persuaded the city’s economic development authority to lend Boat Floater $200,000 at low interest, and he had spent the past six months looking for available sites and putting together an incentive package for the company. “We just lent a company money, and if they go out of business, that’s not good,” Barger said. “In economic development, when businesses expand, that’s good; when they close, that’s bad. That’s economic development 101.” By midmorning, Barger and Eller found themselves soaked and dirty, physically helping Boat Floater employees move into the new building. The city sent over a skid-loader, and Barger and Eller joined Boat Floater 11 employees in moving at what Barger called “breakneck speed.” “There wasn’t a single person who complained that day,” Peck said of his employees and the city staff. “We were hot and soaked, but nobody complained, and nobody was absent that day.” Peck said it took 40 to 50 trips with eight pickup trucks and five trailers to move the welders, saws and equipment. Some of the Boat Floater employees worked 70 hours that week, and Peck said the company missed only three to four days of production before it was back up to full speed, producing 20 to 40 units every week. 
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