Skip to content
The Latest John Deere News and Trends
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • John Deere parts catalogs and manuals
    • JOHN DEERE 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400 TRACTORS PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 8130, 8230, 8330, 8430 and 8530 TRACTORS PARTS CATALOG
    • John Deere Parst catalog Planter 7200 MAXEMERGE
    • JOHN DEERE 9400 MAXIMIZER COMBINE PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 9410 MAXIMIZER COMBINE PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 9500 AND SIDEHILL 9500 MAXIMIZER COMBINES PARTS CATALOG
    • PARTS CATALOG 9550 SELF-PROPELLED COMBINE WITH 90 SERIES CORN HEAD
    • 9600 MAXIMIZER COMBINE WITH 900 SERIES CUTTING PLATFORM PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 9610 MAXIMIZER COMBINE WITH 900 SERIES CUTTING PLATFORM PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 9650 SELF-PROPELLED COMBINE WITH 90 SERIES CORN HEAD PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE 9650STS SELF-PROPELLED COMBINE WITH 900 SERIES PLATFORM PARTS CATALOG
    • JOHN DEERE CTS (RISE & SMALL GRAIN) COMBINE WITH 900 SERIES PLATFORM PARTS CATALOG
    • CTS II COMBINE WITH 900 SERIES PLATFORM PARTS CATALOG
  • John Deere Parts Lookup
  • JOHN DEERE FAULT CODES LIST
  • Contact us
  • John Deere for Kids
    • John Deere Monster Treads
    • Interactive Games with the John Deere Kids Crew!
    • Nursery Rhymes
    • Sing-Alongs
    • Fun with Vehicles
    • Sing-Alongs
    • Meet the John Deere Kids Team
    • Best Moments
    • Activity Books
  • John Deere Customer Service ADVISOR
    • Buy John Deere Service Advisor
    • Laptop requirements to install Service Advisor John Deere
    • Customer Service ADVISOR installation instructions
  • John Deere Jobs
  • John Deere tractor serial numbers
  • About John Deere
    • The evolution of the John Deere logo and brand
  • FAQ
  • John Deere products
Menu

The Road to Recovery

Posted on March 11, 2020November 25, 2022 by John Deere News

ON OCTOBER 11, 2018, HURRICANE MICHAEL, A CATEGORY 5 STORM, MADE LANDFALL ON THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

High winds, heavy rain, and extreme surges caused massive destruction along the coast, resulting in billions of dollars in damages — trees uprooted, houses splintered, and shops reduced to bare cement slabs. In Florida alone, dozens of people lost their lives. Thousands more lost their homes and livelihoods. Over a year later, there’s still plenty of recovery work to be done, especially in Panama City, Mexico Beach, and the surrounding areas. Sammy Fitkin, project manager for Hauling Away, a Theodore, Alabama based company that specializes in debris removal, grinding services, trucking, and site management, sees this kind of devastation far too regularly.

“We came here straight from a hurricane-recovery project in North Carolina,” says Fitkin. “At first, all we could see were the trees. We could see how the wind blew them one way and then another way. Acres of trees were either twisted or snapped completely to the ground.”

According to Fitkin, the trees were a telltale sign of the destruction to come. “I looked around at all the damage and figured I might as well try to find somewhere to live because I was going to be here for a while. It’s going to take a long time to clean this place up.”

THE LONG HAUL
Each day, Fitkin sends his team through neighborhoods and business parks in a fleet of specially designed trucks to collect debris — furniture, refrigerators, sheds, cars, and trees — bound for dumpsites and grinding locations throughout the Panhandle.

READ  John Deere will upgrade 7R Series tractors in 2023

“When you’re on a pickup and the homeowner is there, it’s tough. You keep telling yourself you’re not going to let it bother you, but you see a 70-year-old person out there and you’re picking up three quarters of their life and putting it in the back of a truck — or you see a lady and her kids hunting in the wreckage for a tent — it’s heartbreaking.”

At the dumpsites and grinding locations, Fitkin and his team deploy a fleet of John Deere machines, including excavators, wheel loaders, and dozers, to manage the debris and prepare it for the landfill. “At this location, we grind all the trees we’ve collected on pickups. The goal is to reduce the wood by a three-to-one ratio, and we transport those woodchips with our John Deere 624K and 724K Wheel Loaders.”

WORKING TOGETHER
No matter how many trees his company grinds or how much debris it hauls, Fitkin credits the people around him for making the biggest difference. “I’ve met people from all walks of life, from all over the country,” he says. “Half of my guys are from Wisconsin and Missouri. They came in here just to help people.”

A strong dealer relationship also plays a significant role in Hauling Away’s recovery efforts. “Beard Equipment is a real partner,” says Fitkin about the Panama City based dealer. “They live here. They know the devastation. They lost part of their shop — the roof was gone and they were running off generators. But they did, and continue to do, everything in their power to support us. We pick up the phone and get the support we need 10 times out of 10. The next morning, they have our parts. They come in on weekends. It makes you feel good when you look up and see everyone working together.”

READ  John Deere Gator with AutoTrac support. Hands-free steering.

Recent Posts

  • John Deere Precision Farming Technology Updated: New John Deere G5 Family of Displays and JDLink Modem March 6, 2023
  • John Deere Enters the Space Industry February 13, 2023
  • Deere launches green lawn equipment lineup. Available from today, Feb. 13 February 13, 2023
  • John Deere Will Not Participate in SIMA 2024: Shifting Focus to Alternative Communication Channels February 13, 2023
  • Who will John Deere partner with this year? January 24, 2023
  • CES 2023: John Deere Launches New ExactShot Technology January 24, 2023
  • John Deere introduces 185 E-Cut and 225 E-Cut cordless mowers, and announces other hybrid solutions in its products. January 24, 2023
  • John Deere partners with Microsoft to improve dealer efficiency and value January 20, 2023
  • Right to repair will be!!! John Deere and the Farm Group Farmers Association have reached an agreement on the right to repair your own equipment. January 10, 2023
  • The new John Deere 6R and 6M tractors will be assembled with 3D printed stainless steel parts. December 30, 2022
  • John Deere X9. How did it work on corn in Poland? December 16, 2022
  • John Deere will upgrade 7R Series tractors in 2023 December 5, 2022

John Deere Parts

Categories

  • News
  • Technology

Archives


Albedo (1) Anelo Photonics (1) artificial intelligence (1) CES2023 (1) ExactShot (1) Exhibitions (1) Farming Technology (1) Gator (1) Grai Matter Labs (1) Hybrid Innovation (1) ioT (1) JDLink (1) John Deer (1) John Deere Operations Center (1) John Deere X9 (1) lawn equipment (1) mowers (1) new technologies (6) OnLink Technology (1) precision farming (5) SIMA 2024 (1) Space Race (1) StarFire 7000 (1) startups (1) sustainable development (2)

CONTACT:

e-mail:info@news-jd.com

MENU:

  • News
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Medium
  • Reddit
©2023 The Latest John Deere News and Trends