Hurricane Season Begins. Our Mission Never Ends.
Twenty-one years after Hurricane Katrina changed the Gulf Coast forever, the Sulzer Group continues helping organizations recover, rebuild, and prepare for whatever disaster comes next.
Today marks the official start of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
For many organizations, hurricane season is a six-month period on the calendar.
For The Sulzer Group , it is a reminder of why we exist.
More than twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina forever changed the Gulf Coast and exposed the overwhelming complexity of disaster recovery. Communities, schools, hospitals, houses of worship, and government agencies suddenly faced an enormous challenge: rebuilding while navigating insurance claims, FEMA regulations, grant requirements, compliance obligations, and construction management.
In the wake of that devastation, the Sulzer Group was founded with a singular mission: to help organizations recover faster, more efficiently, and with confidence.
Today, that mission remains unchanged.
Over the past two decades, the Sulzer Group has helped clients manage more than $2 billion in disaster recovery funding, supported recovery efforts following more than 40 disasters, and guided hundreds of organizations through every stage of the recovery process.
From catastrophic hurricanes and flooding to wildfires, winter storms, and other federally declared disasters, we have stood beside our clients every step of the way.
Before the Storm. During the Crisis. Long After Recovery.
When most organizations think about disaster recovery, they think about what happens after a storm. At the Sulzer Group, we help clients long before disaster strikes and remain by their side throughout every phase of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Whether you are a university, school district, hospital, nonprofit organization, municipality, faith-based institution, utility, or private organization, our team provides comprehensive support designed to protect operations, maximize funding opportunities, and strengthen long-term resilience.
Our Services Include:
PREPAREDNESS • Emergency preparedness planning • Risk and vulnerability assessments • Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning • Emergency Action Plans (EAP) • Asset inventories and documentation • FEMA and insurance eligibility preparation • Hazard mitigation planning • Training, tabletop exercises, and drills
RESPONSE • Emergency Operations Center support • Damage assessments • Loss evaluation and documentation • Emergency response coordination • Rapid activation of emergency plans
RECOVERY • FEMA Public Assistance management • Insurance claim development and reconciliation • Grant administration • Project and construction management • Disaster recovery program management • Engineering and technical support • Construction administration and oversight
MITIGATION & RESILIENCE • Facility hardening strategies • Long-term resilience planning • Capital improvement planning • Funding identification and strategy • Mitigation project implementation
For nearly two decades, organizations across the country have trusted the Sulzer Group to help them prepare for uncertainty, navigate complex recovery challenges, and emerge stronger than before.
Recovery in Action: Katrina-Era Projects That Helped Shape Our Firm
Tulane University: More Than Two Decades of Recovery and Resilience
The Sulzer Group’s relationship with Tulane University began in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and continues today, reflecting a long-standing partnership built on trust, expertise, and results.
Following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane faced one of the largest and most complex recovery efforts in higher education. The Sulzer Group was brought in to help navigate the intricate @fema Public Assistance process, providing strategic guidance, project management, grant administration, and financial reconciliation support across the University’s recovery portfolio.
Over the years, our team has assisted Tulane with the management, review, and closeout of more than 500 FEMA Project Worksheets, helping ensure compliance with federal requirements while maximizing eligible reimbursement opportunities. The work involved coordinating complex documentation, reconciling project costs, navigating changing FEMA regulations, and supporting the University’s long-term recovery objectives.
What began as Katrina recovery evolved into an ongoing relationship that has spanned multiple federally declared disasters and recovery initiatives. The Sulzer Group has continued to support Tulane through subsequent storm events and FEMA-related recovery efforts, providing the institutional knowledge and continuity necessary to navigate an increasingly complex disaster funding landscape.
Today, more than twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, the Sulzer Group remains a trusted partner to Tulane University. Our continued work together demonstrates not only the strength of our expertise in disaster recovery and grant management, but also our commitment to helping institutions protect their facilities, preserve their missions, and build resilience for future generations.
As hurricane season begins once again, Tulane’s recovery story stands as a powerful example of what can be accomplished through preparation, persistence, and partnership.
Archdiocese of New Orleans: Preserving Faith, Education, and Community Through Generations of Storms
When Hurricane Katrina struck Southeast Louisiana in 2005, the devastation extended far beyond homes and businesses. Churches, schools, parish facilities, and community institutions across the Archdiocese of New Orleans suffered significant damage, threatening organizations that had served families for generations.
In the years that followed, the Sulzer Group became a trusted recovery partner to the Archdiocese, helping navigate the complex process of securing and managing federal disaster assistance while ensuring compliance with FEMA requirements and funding regulations.
Our team has worked alongside Archdiocesan leadership to support recovery efforts for a wide range of facilities, helping preserve critical educational, religious, and community resources that continue to serve thousands throughout the region.
For more than twenty years the Sulzer Group has partnered with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to help protect and restore some of the Gulf South’s most important institutions.
The Archdiocese encompasses more than 1,500 facilities across eight civil parishes, including churches, schools, administrative buildings, cemeteries, community centers, and ministry facilities that serve thousands of families throughout Southeast Louisiana. Over the years, these facilities have endured some of the nation’s most significant disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Isaac, Zeta, and Ida, as well as the unprecedented challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing the complexity of recovery efforts across such a vast portfolio of facilities, the Archdiocese selected the Sulzer Group to manage all aspects of its FEMA claim development and recovery strategy. Since 2012, our team has helped formulate more than 500 FEMA grants valued at over $500 million, supporting the restoration and recovery of facilities that remain essential to the spiritual, educational, and social fabric of the region.
Drawing upon our experience serving Catholic dioceses throughout the United States, the Sulzer Group has provided grant management, insurance reconciliation, project management, construction administration, appeals, project closeout services, and long-term recovery planning. From historic churches to parish schools and community facilities, our work has helped preserve the places where communities gather, worship, learn, and heal.
As hurricane season begins once again, the Archdiocese of New Orleans stands as a powerful example of resilience. Through decades of storms and challenges, these institutions continue to serve their communities, and the Sulzer Group remains honored to support their recovery and preservation for future generations.
From historic church properties to educational campuses and support facilities, the Sulzer Group has provided expertise in FEMA Public Assistance, grant management, project documentation, insurance reconciliation, and long-term recovery planning. Our role has been to simplify a complex process, allowing church and school leaders to focus on their missions while we help manage the administrative and financial requirements associated with disaster recovery.
“For decades, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has relied on the Sulzer Group as a trusted partner through multiple major disasters impacting our churches, schools, and facilities across the region. The scale of our organization and the complexity of disaster recovery require more than short-term assistance. They require steady guidance from professionals who understand the full process from grant management and compliance to construction oversight and long-term recovery planning.”
-Father Patrick Vicar of Finance, Archdiocese of New Orleans
From devastation to restoration. Across the Archdiocese of New Orleans, churches, schools, and community institutions have endured hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters while continuing to serve generations of families. Today, these restored facilities stand as powerful reminders that recovery is not simply about rebuilding structures. It is about preserving the places that anchor our communities, our faith, and our future.
St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College: Restoring a Louisiana Treasure
Nestled on more than 1,500 acres in St. Benedict, Louisiana, St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College has served as a center of faith, education, and spiritual formation for generations. The historic campus, operated by Benedictine monks and affiliated with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, has educated future priests and religious leaders for more than a century.
In March 2016, unprecedented flooding from the Bogue Falaya River inundated the campus with nearly two feet of water, damaging 31 buildings and impacting classrooms, residence halls, libraries, administrative facilities, and ministry spaces. The flooding was described as more severe than the damage the campus experienced during Hurricane Katrina.
The Sulzer Group was selected to help lead the disaster recovery effort, working alongside project partners to navigate the complex process of documenting damages, securing funding, managing compliance requirements, and coordinating recovery activities. Our role helped ensure that the Abbey could focus on its mission while recovery efforts moved forward.
Today, visitors to St. Joseph Abbey see a thriving campus surrounded by beautiful grounds, historic architecture, and a vibrant faith community. Behind that success story is a recovery effort that preserved an institution that has shaped generations of religious and community leaders throughout the Gulf South.
The restoration of St. Joseph Abbey stands as a reminder that disaster recovery is about more than repairing buildings. It is about preserving the institutions that strengthen communities and carry their traditions forward.
Is Your Organization Prepared?
For our clients, past storms serve as a reminder of the value of having experienced recovery support in place before conditions deteriorate. Being positioned ahead of a storm is always an advantage over scrambling in the aftermath.
Over the years, our team has processed and helped secure more than $2B in FEMA claims, guiding organizations through some of the most complex recovery efforts in the country. For organizations that do not yet have preparedness and recovery support in place, now is the time to call. We work with higher education institutions, school systems, hospital and healthcare networks, private nonprofit organizations, dioceses, government entities, and more to help document damage, secure funding, and navigate recovery from day one
Why the Sulzer Group?
For nearly two decades, organizations across the country have trusted the Sulzer Group to navigate some of their most complex recovery challenges. As a full-service, women-owned disaster recovery firm, we have managed more than $2 billion in recovery funding and supported clients through over 40 federally declared disasters. From preparedness and mitigation planning to FEMA reimbursement, insurance recovery, project management, and long-term resilience strategies, we provide comprehensive support every step of the way. Our clients include municipalities, school districts, universities, healthcare systems, faith-based organizations, and private nonprofits across all 10 FEMA regions.
Careers at the Sulzer Group
We’re growing – and we’re hiring! If you’re a proactive, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, we want to hear from you. We’re always looking for talented and qualified people to join our team. Reach out to us anytime at: HR@sulzergroup.com
The Sulzer Group 866.767.9869 www.sulzergroup.com