97_How Folgers Reopened 22 Days After Hurricane Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, more than half of Procter & Gamble's coffee production was concentrated in the region. P&G had hurricane plans. It had shutdown procedures. It had generators, crisis teams, backup systems, and decades of experience preparing for storms. And then Katrina exceeded the plan. Communications collapsed. Employees were scattered across multiple states. Roads became inaccessible. Utilities disappeared. Some shutdown procedures weren't completed. It ultimately took P&G 21 days just to account for every employee. Yet on September 20, 2005—22 days after Katrina made Louisiana landfall—a Folgers production line in New Orleans was running again.In this episode of DisasterClass, Jason Perez breaks down what P&G did before, during, and after Katrina—and why this case is about much more than coffee. We explore business continuity, organizational resilience, employee recovery, critical dependencies, alternate production, emergency decision triggers, and one of the most important lessons in preparedness: Preparedness doesn't give you certainty. It gives you options.Learn more about DisasterClass and Instinct Ready Emergency Management at InstinctReady.com.Topics: Hurricane Katrina, Folgers, Procter & Gamble, business continuity, disaster recovery, emergency management, organizational resilience, preparedness, supply-chain resilience and community recovery.🔗 SPONSORS & PARTNERS🩸 STOP THE BLEED® CoalitionUncontrolled bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death after injury. But in just one hour, you can learn three simple steps to save a life. The STOP THE BLEED® Coalition is a nonprofit organization formed to support and scale the national STOP THE BLEED® campaign, helping bring bleeding control training and tools to communities across the country. Find a class near you and learn how you can get involved. 🌐 Visit: https://StopTheBleedCoalition.org 🚨INSTINCT READY DisasterClass is proudly brought to you by Instinct Ready, dedicated to educating, preparing, and equipping communities for emergencies and disasters through quality training, comprehensive planning, and premium products. 🎟 Get 10% off your order with code: DISASTERCLASS 📞 Call: (845) 244-6360 🌐 Visit: https://www.instinctready.com00:00 The Strategic Coffee Reserve01:24 Why Folgers Was Vulnerable02:50 A Plan Is Not a Preparedness Program03:29 Katrina Enters the Gulf04:23 Preparedness Triggers05:36 When Katrina Exceeded the Plan06:54 P&G Loses Track of Its Employees07:50 21 Days to Account for Everyone08:52 The Coffee Sludge Problem10:47 Getting Back Into the Plant12:14 Replacing the Infrastructure13:43 The Fire Protection Problem15:09 The Facility Is Not the Mission16:50 Employees Were Disaster Survivors Too18:10 Helping Employees Recover19:15 “Of Course P&G Could Do This”20:44 Preparedness Scales21:19 Businesses Don't Recover Alone22:16 215,000 Jobs Lost23:34 22 Days After Katrina24:14 Why Folgers Could Reopen25:32 Perfect Preparedness Doesn't Exist26:12 Preparedness Buys Options26:59 The Strategic Coffee Reserve Returns28:15 The Final Lesson28:35 Outro