Video: Louisville Businesses Keep Busy Since Storm

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LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — It’s been nearly three months since the Louisville tornado, and despite the storm, customers are still flocking to local businesses.

Some Louisville businesses are keeping busy, as many of their customers rebuild their homes destroyed by the April tornado.

“We have not seen anything quite like that, and we’ve been here since 1946,” said business owner Wally Bennett.

At his business, Bennett’s Do-It-Center, residents are stocking up on hardware items likes nails and lumber, working on roof repairs.

“An average month for us may be five, six trucks,” Bennett said. “We’ve gone through 20 in the last two months, so a considerable increase.”

Workers told WCBI they sold 60 chainsaws alone the first week of the storm, and they sold all of their tarps the day after.

To keep up with the demand, Bennett says they’ve hired at least three new employees since the storm, and they’re working overtime.

“Most of my guys, we work on a 45, 50-hour week,” Bennett said. “I’ve got some guys that are getting 70 hours a week, so they’re really working hard.”

Moody’s Furniture owner Stephen Moody is helping residents put their damaged furniture back together.

There’s so much to do, he’s had to rent four storage buildings.

“One of the types of things that we’ve been dealing with is people bringing in, you know, we do refinishing and remodeling and upholstery,” Moody said.

These business owners say they want to help their customers by keeping prices down.

Moody says he’s even donated some mattresses to storm victims.

It’s how the community is staying Louisville strong.

“We’ve got a lot of good folks here,” Moody said. “A lot of great industry, and it’s been just a real blessing to see the town pull together.”

Neighbors helping neighbors, as they continue to recover.

Moody says most of his customers are buying the essentials – like mattresses – now.

He says his furniture sales will likely go up once people finish remodeling their homes.