Midwest Glass Companies Hit Hard By Storm

Heavy wind and rain swept through the Midwest last week, leaving behind flooding, uprooted trees, power outages and damage from storm debris, including broken glass.

Herb's Glass & Mirror in Elgin, Ill., didn't lose power or feel the effects of the storm, and the impacts have yet to be felt, according to a woman who identified herself as Ginger.

"No, we don't anticipate it getting any busier," Ginger says.

However, when asked if last week's storms were anywhere near his business, Aaron (who preferred not to give his last name) with Knox Glass in Galesburg, Ill., replied, "Do you mean are we swamped with work? Yes."
Knox Glass, like many Midwest companies, lost power as a result of the storms, but is beginning to feel the impact in other ways.

"We were without power when the storm hit, and that kind of hindered us from getting called in for board-ups," Aaron says. The glass retailer is now working to keep up with repairs. "[We're] going to be busy the next couple weeks. It hit pretty hard."

However, Aaron says the company hasn't faced greater than usual challenges in keeping jobs on schedule.

"We're just shoveling through it. You do one [job] and go right through to the next," Aaron says. He adds, "Everyone's pretty understanding."

Aaron says that most customers have chosen to wait for their insurance adjustor to assess the storm damage before calling in for glass repairs, one reason the volume of work has been so high this week.

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