WITT O'BRIEN'S HELPS HOUSTON SMALL AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES BECOME DISASTER RESILIENT POST-HURRICANE HARVEY

HOUSTON, Aug. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Witt O'Brien's, LLC (Witt O'Brien's), a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc. CKH, announced that it, along with their teaming partner Goodwille Pierre LLC, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) based in Houston, successfully supported a free disaster recovery and resiliency training program for small and minority-owned businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The Small Business Resiliency Academy program, created by the Houston Community College (HCC), helps business owners with resiliency planning and implementation.

"I've counseled small and minority-owned businesses for many years and when companies like Witt O'Brien's invest time and resources in small businesses, it amplifies the business owner's knowledge and helps them become better prepared for business disruption, ultimately leading to a more successful outcome," said J. Goodwille Pierre.  

Nationally recognized experts from Witt O'Brien's supported the business recovery and resiliency program by training small businesses from a cross-section of industries, varying in size, demographics and geographic location. Graduates gain the knowledge and tools necessary to create a resilient business, including a comprehensive, customized disaster recovery and resiliency plan they can utilize for future disasters. The program will end on August 30^th with a graduation ceremony where participants will receive a "Disaster Resilient Business" certificate.

Melvinie Davis, Corporate Controller with the small business, The Breakfast Klub, attested, "Today my firm is stronger because of my participation in the Academy. I came to the realization that I had been managing my business solely in a reactive manner, rather than proactively by incorporating resiliency into my everyday operations. The program's experts guided me through the process of how to help make my business resilient and how to plan for a myriad of crises and disasters should they occur. Bottom line, my business is stronger and its longevity more certain because of the Small Business Resiliency Academy."

In conjunction with the program, HCC is hosting the Business Resiliency Expo, bringing together hundreds of public and private sector participants to learn about available recovery tools and resources and how to build resiliency to future disruptions. Experts from Witt O'Brien's will be conducting a resiliency panel discussion with the attendees. The Expo will be held this Saturday, August 17, 2019, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

"Witt O'Brien's is honored to support small and minority business recovery and resiliency in Houston. Many of our employees, clients, families and friends were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. With our largest operations based in Houston, we have a vested interest in dedicating time and resources to help return neighbors to their homes and re-establish a thriving small and minority business community," remarked Greg Fenton, Houston-based Chief Operating Officer of Witt O'Brien's.

About Goodwille Pierre LLC
As the Prime Contractor on this project, Goodwille Pierre LLC is a diversity and inclusion management, strategic communication, business development and government relations firm. Its principal, J. Goodwille Pierre, also currently serves as corporate counsel, inclusion management consultant and business development advisor to several Fortune 100 companies and to many small, minority and women business owners, law firms, and nonprofit institutions.

About Witt O'Brien's
Witt O'Brien's is the world leader in crisis and emergency management. We protect our clients by preparing for all manner of business disruption. If disaster strikes, we deploy in a matter of hours -- to help manage live emergencies in the field, and then to recover as quickly as possible. With decades of front-line experience in both the public and private sectors, we are a force-multiplier for containing the crises. To learn more about our experience and innovative solutions, please visit us at wittobriens.com. Witt O'Brien's is a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc.

About SEACOR
SEACOR Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company with interests in domestic and international transportation and logistics, and risk management consultancy.  SEACOR is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CKH.

Media Contact
Heather Stickler
Witt O'Brien's
hstickler@wittobriens.com
1-202-585-0780