After spending so much time together in the office, on zoom calls, or even on the manufacturing line, sometimes colleagues grow into family. This is true for many Nissan employees at Decherd Powertrain Assembly Plant.
On the morning of Aug. 26, Hurricane Laura made landfall off the coast of Louisiana. This dangerous storm caused widespread damage and displaced many, including the family of Nissan intern Samantha (Sam) Mersman.
Mersman, a senior engineering major at Texas A&M University, has been an intern on the Maintenance Machining team at Decherd Powertrain for the past two years. Mersman quickly became part of the tight-knit Decherd community. Her manager, Joel Langham, got to know Mersman and her family well during her time with the company.
The minute the news showed the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura; Langham immediately contacted Mersman to check on her family.
"She replied, ‘funny you should ask, but our properties have had extensive damage,'" said Langham.
He knew immediately he needed to help, but he couldn't do it alone.
Langham reached out to three other colleagues and asked if they would be willing to lend a helping hand. Mitch Durcholz, alongside father-son duo Tyler and David Banks, piled into a TITAN with Langham and began the 11-hour trek to the small town of Leesville.
The volunteers were met with a 105-degree heat advisory, lines backed up to the interstate to get gas at fueling stations and no ice or water for miles. Undeterred, the team was exhausted but ready to work once they finally made it to Mersman's hometown.
"We met Sam's grandmother, Ms. Westmoreland, on-site and she led us to her brother's properties," added Langham. "Trees were toppled over everywhere, boats and trucks spewed all over the place."
In just two days, the team was able to cut trees, remove debris, and clear seven properties, including the Westmoreland family homes. One of the properties belonged to the widow of a COVID-19 victim, who introduced herself as "Ms. Diane." She did not have the means to clean up the mess the hurricane left, so the Decherd team grabbed their chainsaws and helped clear the damage.
"It was a very eye-opening experience to see this community — people were genuinely appreciative," said Durcholz. "It was nice to see Tennesseans from the volunteer state working together for the greater good."
A few weeks after the trip, Nissan North America Senior Vice President Steve Marsh heard their story and insisted on meeting the team to acknowledge their compassion and camaraderie.
"When I heard about this team's act of selflessness, I had to meet them and thank them myself," said Marsh. "The Nissan team is truly a family and this story exemplifies the one-team spirit mentality that makes each of us better, and for that, I am proud and truly inspired."
Many asked why they did what they did — but to them it was simple.
"It is extremely gratifying to help somebody else," said Tyler Banks. "It reminds us how thankful we are to have what we have and how important it is to help others."
Mersman's family was very grateful for all the help that the Nissan family provided.
"The community in Decherd is what I really fell in love with during my time at Nissan, everyone is always looking for ways to help their neighbor," said Mersman. "And in a small town like Decherd, everyone is basically your neighbor."