On Friday 14 February, Tropical Cyclone Zelia caused catastrophic flooding in Western Australia, resulting in major road closures, including the Great Northern Highway, which is the major freight route to Broome.
The closure of the Great Northern Highway quickly led to shortages of essential goods in Broome and the surrounding regions. Countrywide Member, Pearl Coast Distributors (PCD), which is the key distributor in Broome, is passionately committed to servicing the Kimberley community. Facing an urgent need for supplies, PCD reached out to the Countrywide community and contacted Nelson Lay at Asian United Food Service (AUFS) for assistance.
Ian Sinclair from PCD shared his experience in reaching out to Nelson for help.
“When Nelson received the call on Sunday night, he took immediate action. Within 30 minutes, he had sourced everything we required, organised the stock overnight, and ensured it was on the road to Broome the next day (Monday morning)”.
“Nelson’s quick response was nothing short of lifesaving. He was fantastic. Nelson just moved heaven and earth to get the stock to us”.
As a sign of appreciation for Nelson’s support, the team at PCD placed a photo of Nelson on their staff Notice Board, titled “Hero of the Week”.
The commitment for Asian United Food Services (AUFS) to step in and lend assistance without hesitation is a true testament to how independent, family-owned, and managed businesses operate – rallying together to make a difference in times of crisis.
Nelson Lay, commented, “This is what’s great about ‘Memberland’ – Members helping Members. We understand the business, and also the challenges that come your way, especially from ‘Mother Nature’. It’s great to have all our Members working together – if we can help each other, we can create a better way to survive and achieve success mutually”.