By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

After 18 inches of water breached The Orange Stationer, the store was able to reopen and service customers on Labor Day, just days after the storm.

The day after the storm, Paul and Kim Dickerson, owners of the store, drove through town the day after the storm to help other businesses with supplies so they could also reopen.

“I loaded as much stock as I could into a box truck and drove through the areas of town that I could,” Paul said. “We wanted to be available for businesses with their needs so they too could open.”

Supplies such as receipt tape for registers were needed by restaurants.

“We drove to the National Guard staying at West Orange Stark High School,” Paul said. “They hopped into the truck and went shopping for things such as notebooks, pens and paper towels. They had no where else they could go to buy things.”

While the ‘front’ door to the store has temporarily changed, Orange Stationer has all its regularly stocked items. Currently, the business is operating out of its warehouse, which was undamaged by Hurricane Harvey.

“The one thing that has changed is where we deliver,” Paul said. “Some businesses are having to operate from their homes.”

Orange Stationer also is able to offer fax services which has been beneficial for residents in need of faxing paperwork to FEMA or to insurance companies.

Operating out the warehouse was an instant fix for the business.

“The warehouse, which did not flood, allows us to get up and running again,” Paul said. “It will also allow us to make some improvements to the store. We want it to be done right when it comes back.”

Paul said the downtown store, such as Farmers Mercantile, helped each other out so they could reopen.

“We are a downtown family,” Paul said. “We are sharing our resources so we can recover together.”

Orange Stationer is open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Just remember to enter through the Warehouse while the store front remains under construction.