12/5/2007

Dube Instrumental In Danvers Reconstruction

Danversport, MA – His first thought was that the furnace had been problematic recently and when Alan Farrell suddenly awoke Thanksgiving Day 2006 he knew something was seriously wrong. Broken glass covered the floor, computers and electronics were scattered about and there was an eerie orange glow in the distance.

“We are campers and have flashlights everywhere” Farrell said, “although we had no idea what we were about to see”

The Farrells home, not unlike many others on the banks of the Crane and Waters rivers, had been forcefully lifted off its foundation and violently dropped back down by the devastating 2:46AM explosion of the nearby CAI/Arnel ink manufacturing facility.

“Lying next to the fireman at the end of my driveway was a massive steel framing member from the factory” Farrell adds, “the entire neighborhood was devastated.

The people of this small community now accounted for and surrounded by emergency personnel at the makeshift safe area began the journey of rebuilding.

Dube-Plus Construction of Hampstead NH, was approached by the Farrells to help rebuild their lives. Steve Okun, Sales Manager for Dube who was on his way to a holiday gathering, recalls his first impressions.

“The breadth of the devastation was almost surreal” Okun recounts, “By the time I got there it was a sea of caution tape, downed wires and State and Local officials. To witness such devastation with no serious injuries was simply a miracle.”

Okun and Farrell collaborated on the design of their new home and on January 29th amidst the devastation the Farrells cape style home of 22 years was no match for the bulldozers of Dube.

“We are very proud of the fact the Alan and Andrea chose our traditional building approach versus the pre manufactured path.” Okun states. “We were the first to break ground and we take great pride in the fact that the Farrells were the first family back in there home.”

For the past six months the Farrells watched, through new windows, the reconstruction of the surrounding homes and neighborhood.

Farrell says, “It was a path ridden with stumbling blocks although on this Thanksgiving Day anniversary we have a lot to be thankful for. Our lives, our community and Dube for helping us putting it all back together.”