UNRELATED CHARGES. HE’S EXPECTED TO APPEAR IN COURT NEXT WEEK. DOZENS OF BUSINESSES ARE NAVIGATING THEIR FUTURES AFTER THE UPS PLANE CRASH CLOSED. GRAY LANE ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO. MEGAN MATTHEWS CAUGHT UP WITH ONE BUSINESS OWNER TO SEE THE IMPACT HIS COMPANY IS FACING. MEGAN. HEY, GUYS. NOW, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME AND I’M GOING TO TAKE A STEP OVER TO THE SIDE SO YOU ALL CAN GET A BETTER LOOK. YOU CAN SEE THAT GRADE LANE IS STILL CLOSED. THERE’S STILL A POLICE PRESENCE UP BY THE BARRICADES THERE, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE COMING IN AREN’T. SO WE TALKED TO MANY OF THE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS CLOSURE, INCLUDING ONE WHO TELLS US THAT THEY ARE NOW WORKING OUT OF FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WORKING DURING THE DAY AND MAKING LONG DRIVES AT NIGHT HAS BECOME A PART OF ADAM BLAND’S DAILY ROUTINE SINCE THE UPS PLANE CRASH. WE WERE OVER 100 ORDERS BEHIND THREE, 4 OR 5 DAYS BEHIND. FUNCTIONING OUT OF FIVE FACILITIES, WHICH HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE. BLAND IS THE PRESIDENT OF QUANTUM INC. OFF OF NORTH AVENUE. SINCE THE CRASH, GRADE LANE HAS BEEN CLOSED AND BLAND AND HIS TEAM CAN’T GET ACCESS TO THEIR FACILITY. WE GET BETTER EVERY DAY. WE GET BETTER EVERY MINUTE. BUT RIGHT NOW, IT’S BEEN A LOT OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY EXHAUSTED PEOPLE. BUT THEY’RE ALL DEDICATED AND WE PLAN TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON. THE COMPANY IS NOW OPERATING OUT OF FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, INCLUDING HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE NINE EMPLOYEES ARE NOW WORKING. THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, ALMOST EVERYONE AT THIS POINT. NOW ALL 55 EMPLOYEES ARE BACK WORKING, SOME HERE AT THE WAREHOUSE. WE HAVE TWO FACILITIES FUNCTIONING IN NEW ALBANY AND THEN THE HEADQUARTERS IN. THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES OTHER BUSINESSES ARE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE ROAD AHEAD WITH MINIMAL TO NO ACCESS TO THEIR FACILITIES. RESTAURANT ON GRADE LANE. THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THEIR PLACE. SO HE’S BEEN UPDATING ME ON WHAT HE SEES FROM THE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY GROUND ZERO IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY TO WHERE OUR BUILDING IS LOCATED. WITH NO END IN SIGHT. AND NOW FACTORING IN GETTING THEIR EQUIPMENT BACK TO GRADE LANE WHEN THE TIME COMES. BLAND IS ASKING FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY SO THEY CAN BETTER ASSESS THEIR PLANS. WE’VE HEARD ANYWHERE FROM A WEEK TO TWO WEEKS TO A MONTH TO TWO MONTHS, SO WE REALLY ACTUALLY HAVE NO IDEA. AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, GETTING BACK IN THAT BUILDING WILL SET US BACK, PUT US BACK ON ON GAME TIME RIGHT AWAY. NOW WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO LOUISVILLE METRO EMERGENCY SERVICES. ABOUT UPDATES TO GRADE LANE, INCLUDING WHEN THEY PLAN TO BE OPEN. AND WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE YET. LIVE
Grade Lane closure after UPS plane crash hinders businesses
Since the UPS plane crash forced the closure of Grade Lane, many businesses no longer have access to their company’s facilities.
Updated: 7:57 PM EST Nov 17, 2025
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Working during the day and driving long distances at night has become routine for Quantum Ink President Adam Bland since the UPS plane crash forced the closure of Grade Lane, cutting off access to the company’s facility off Knopp Avenue.“We were over 100 orders behind, three or five days behind, functioning out of five facilities, which has been an absolute logistical nightmare,” Bland said.Bland credits his team’s persistence despite the exhaustion and long hours.“We get better every day. We get better every minute. But, right now, it’s been a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of really, really exhausted people. But they’re all dedicated, and we plan to keep on keeping on,” said Bland.Quantum Ink is now operating across five locations, including Houston, Texas, where nine employees are working.“The other employees, almost everyone at this point now, all 55 employees are back working. Some are here at the DPS warehouse. We have two facilities functioning in New Albany and then the headquarters,” Bland said.They are not alone. Other businesses with minimal or no access are also navigating the disruption.“Cools restaurant on Gray Lane, they’ve been able to get to their place, so he’s been updating me on what he sees from the, you know, essentially ground zero in terms of accessibility to where our building’s located,” said Bland.With no clear end in sight — and facing the additional challenge of returning equipment to Grade Lane when allowed — Bland is asking for communication and transparency so companies can plan.“We’ve heard anywhere from a week to two weeks to a month to two months. So, we really actually had no idea. And I can tell you, right now, getting back in that building will set us back, put us back on, on game time right away,” said Bland.
Working during the day and driving long distances at night has become routine for Quantum Ink President Adam Bland since the UPS plane crash forced the closure of Grade Lane, cutting off access to the company’s facility off Knopp Avenue.
“We were over 100 orders behind, three or five days behind, functioning out of five facilities, which has been an absolute logistical nightmare,” Bland said.
Bland credits his team’s persistence despite the exhaustion and long hours.
“We get better every day. We get better every minute. But, right now, it’s been a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of really, really exhausted people. But they’re all dedicated, and we plan to keep on keeping on,” said Bland.
Quantum Ink is now operating across five locations, including Houston, Texas, where nine employees are working.
“The other employees, almost everyone at this point now, all 55 employees are back working. Some are here at the DPS warehouse. We have two facilities functioning in New Albany and then the headquarters,” Bland said.
They are not alone. Other businesses with minimal or no access are also navigating the disruption.
“Cools restaurant on Gray Lane, they’ve been able to get to their place, so he’s been updating me on what he sees from the, you know, essentially ground zero in terms of accessibility to where our building’s located,” said Bland.
With no clear end in sight — and facing the additional challenge of returning equipment to Grade Lane when allowed — Bland is asking for communication and transparency so companies can plan.
“We’ve heard anywhere from a week to two weeks to a month to two months. So, we really actually had no idea. And I can tell you, right now, getting back in that building will set us back, put us back on, on game time right away,” said Bland.
