Company shifts from auto parts to huts for Haiti

A struggling auto parts supplier in Windsor, Ont., is ramping up production of prefabricated shelters to house Haitians left homeless by January's earthquake.

For nearly a quarter of a century, Ground Effects Ltd. has produced parts for the big automakers, including everything from running boards to grill guards. But last year's crisis in the auto industry prompted company president James Scott to look for new ways to keep his business afloat and his workers employed.

Ground Effects began slowly producing modular shelters; pre-fabricated buildings that can be shipped in pieces. Last year, the company sent test units to Haiti to serve as school classrooms and residences.

"We had eight on the ground in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake happened, and all eight of them stood there without any damage to them," Scott told CBC News.

Since the quake, Scott's phone has been ringing with requests from aid organizations desperate for the shelters.

No power tools needed

The units are waterproof, but they are not anchored to the ground so they can move and sway in the wind.

"A lot of it goes together with wing nuts on the interior of the unit, so really you can do things by hand, for the most part," said Scott, adding that two people can put together a small (15 square metres) or large (35 square metres) shelter within two hours without power tools.

The shelter concept was designed by Miles Kennedy from Housall Systems in Ottawa and Ground Effects is the sole manufacturer.In the last nine months, GroundEffects has tweaked the design to make the shelters cheaper and lighter.

Ground Effects is preparing to ship30 unitspurchased by Save the Children USA to Haiti next week. Scott said the sudden need to speed up production is good news for his company, but he regrets that it took a tragedy to make that happen.

"I never dreamed a crisis as bad as Haiti would single-handedly change our company overnight," he said.

Scott said he doubts the spike in demand will be temporary, noting that Haiti will take between seven and 10 years to rebuild. Aid agencies have called for200,000 tents immediately to be used for housing, hospitals, offices and schools.

"Those 200,000 tents will break down," said Scott. "They'll have holes in them. They'll fly away in a matter of four, five, six months max. And so our units are needed today, but they're going to be needed down the road as well."

Workers offer nightshift to meet demand

Aid organizations working with the Canadian International Development Agency would likeat least 400 shelters a week from Ground Effects, said Scott. But despite having added 150 employees since July, his company can currently only produce 175 shelters a week.

Scott plans to hire another 90 people as quickly as possible,which is welcome news in the city with the highest unemployment rate in the country.

The company is looking for everything from general labourers to welders and robotic technicians, though Scott said current staff have volunteered to work a midnight shift to boost production.

"If we had 5,000 or 10,000 of these units ready to go when the earthquake hit, they'd all be down in Haiti today," Scott said.

He estimates that Ground Effects will now see modular shelters make up 50 per cent of its business. While that has meant an identity shift, it's one Scott and his staff are happy about.

"We've watched the TV, we've been riveted with seeing pictures [from Haiti] and really overcome by all of that," he said.

"Then to know that our units are going to keep kids and their families dry and safe ... it does make us feel real good."