NewsPalm Beach CountyRegion C Palm Beach CountyWest Palm Beach

Actions

Supply chain issues impacting businesses, hurricane preparedness

Business owners waiting weeks, months to a year to get product
Posted at 10:24 PM, May 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-04 23:53:54-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Families are seeing price hikes as they prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

Between inflation and supply chain concerns, families are faced with high prices and delays.

Kelly Ford points out the array of windows she's having replaced in her house.

"These are unique, they're arch windows. So, they are a little bit more expensive," she said.

The search for a company to install impact windows before hurricane season began weeks ago. Kelly and her husband went through seven companies and plenty of sticker shock.

"The sliders were anywhere from $9,000 to $16,000 alone. Just the sliders. And then the impact was anywhere from about $1,000 a window up to $1,500," she said.

Kelly said the final quotes were as high as 50-thousand dollars. She said each company that walked through her home also told her to be prepared to wait.

"For one year out and then there was also six months, could be nine months," she said.

Associate Professor David Menachof with the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University said like so many areas this is a supply chain issue impacted by the pandemic.

"The problem has been, we have not had that stability. As soon as we think we're getting there, all of the supplies coming across from China and the far east. All those containers then getting stuck in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," he said.

Menachof said it may take another year for things to clear up.

"Without too many shocks to the system, we could get back to normal, probably first and second quarters of 2023," he said.

Kelly and her husband are hopeful to have the windows by the end of June. Other experts WPTV has spoken with said delivery times could take 4 to 6 months.