Sandvik Coromant comes to the aid of tornado-struck Seneca

Here’s an announcement received by 101.7/WGOG NEWS this morning:  “Sandvik Coromant’s Westminster, South Carolina Production Unit donates $25,000 to the City of Seneca Tornado Relief Fund after an EF3 tornado touches down in Seneca, SC destroying homes and properties. Approximately 30% of Sandvik Coromant employees at the Westminster facility live in Seneca and were affected by the tornado.

On April 13, 2020 at 3:00 AM,160 miles winds ripped through parts of South Carolina causing downed trees, power outages and significant property damage. It was reported that the EF3 tornado, which was 16 miles long and a half-mile wide affected 1,400 homes, damaging or completely destroying around 200 of them. Approximate property damage is estimated at $250 million.

Director of the Westminster Production Unit, Arun Pattanaik states, ‘We are extremely saddened and shocked to see the destruction caused to our Seneca community by an EF3 tornado a few weeks ago. A number of our employees and their families have been affected by this tornado. Sandvik Coromant is here to support relief in the Seneca community. To help in this effort, we are contributing $25,000 to the City of Seneca Tornado Relief Fund. We know Seneca is strong and will come back stronger than ever before. We wish our Seneca community all the best with the rebuilding process.’

The Westminster Production Unit, which sits in Oconee County, is located approximately two miles from where the tornado touched down. Officials from the Westminster facility have confirmed that no one was injured at the facility and the building was not damaged, however 30% of Sandvik Coromant employees live in the Seneca area. As an integral part of the local community, Sandvik Coromant’s contribution to the City of Seneca Tornado Relief Fund will aid in repairing properties so that people can start to rebuild their lives. Money from the fund will help to restore power, replace meter boxes, weather heads and wiring necessary to connect to city water. It will also aid in costly roof repairs and tree work to remove dangerous downed trees and limbs….”