Generac distributes generators to areas across U.S. in need



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- One Wisconsin company is stepping up to help people without power on the east coast after being hit hard with winter storms. Generac employees are working overtime to restore power thousands of homes.

The company says the number of generators being sent out to the eastern and southern regions creates new demand in untapped markets.

"We all  have a role to play during these types of power outage events when there is elevated demand to be able to help out our customers any way that we can," said Art Aiello with Generac.

Generac distributed nearly 650,000 generators in 2012 to millions who lost power during Hurricane Sandy. The demand has surged yet again after a powerful winter storm pounded the northeast.

"The winter has been so severe in so many parts of the country that we've been in some sort of an elevated state," Aiello said. "The thing that these storms tell us is that power outages are not going away."

The company has also seen a rise in need after ice storms in the southern region of the country. Employees are working overtime, including weekends, to get generators anywhere winter is taking a toll.

"Power outages like this continue to happen, and they happen now in areas in the south where they might not have happened before, or might not have happened in recent history," said Aiello. "As that inventory depletes and the demand continues to increase, we'll begin ramping up our manufacturing."

Generac has not estimated exactly how many generators it has already distributed, but trucks were loaded Friday night, February 14th and are driving to various distribution areas where they are most needed.