Contractors, auto shops busy after July tornado

Destruction left by the July 8 tornado is causing area contractors and body shops to find themselves, at no surprise, unusually busy.

A waiting list has become a common necessity for area businesses.

"We're doing pretty good with staying on track, keeping things scheduled," said Bruce Schneider, vice president of Big K Industries Inc., a local construction company. "Customers have been very patient knowing that there are a lot of people out there that need to be serviced."

Schneider said the company has a waiting list and has assisted about 13 to 14 homes with siding, windows, roofing and truss repairs.

Big K Industries Inc., has even taken on repairs they usually do not offer.

"Normally we don't do windows and siding," said Schneider. "But, we've got into it a little bit just because of the storm ... try to help people get their houses closed back up and framed," Schneider said.

Planning to work through the winter, Schneider says Big K will not be completed with their workload until about spring 2010.

Big K has also hired more employees to meet the increased demand for repairs.

Rose Kuntz, co-owner of Kuntz Builders, a local construction company, said they have had many people calling for bids on repairs.

"It's been a tedious process," Kuntz said. "We took on a couple of them, but that's about all our schedule would fit for us."

Depending on the job size, Kuntz said a typical job takes four to five months. However, repairs to homes that already have foundations will probably take about three months.

Body shops have experienced a delay in repairs coming in, with many attributing the delay to residents fixing homes first.

Jay Wanner, owner of Jay R's Auto Body & Sandblasting, said while his waiting list has gone down, shortly after the tornado, the list was sitting at a month and a half wait time.

Nikki Binstock, secretary for Advanced Collision Center Inc., a local body shop, said the average cost in damages they have repaired is about $8,000.

"We had 15 right around that $3,000 to $8,000 mark just in damages in hail," Binstock said.

With having completed repairs on about 20 storm-damaged vehicles, Binstock said Advanced Collision's waiting list is currently at about a week.

Jerry Gayda, owner of Legend Auto Body Inc., said the entire building will need to be replaced.

"We still haven't even gotten the exact dollar amount from the insurance company," Gayda said. "I guess it takes time, but that seems like an extended amount."

Gayda said estimated rebuilding time of his body shop will be about one year.

"We really can't do anything because we don't have any paint booths," Gayda said. "There is nothing you can do to get back in business other than sit and wait for our building."

Gayda said in the meantime, he plans to help his son rebuild a tornado damaged home he purchased across the street from their shop.

To add a little humor, a mannequin was added to an office that was blown open by the powerful storm.

The now infamous Legend Auto Body mannequin "working" in the wide-open office has been stolen, Gayda said.

"I figured somebody would have it sitting somewhere else," Gayda said. "I think somebody might have needed his coveralls."