Tornado leads to construction boom in Missouri

Posted by IronPlanet on Mar 28, 2012 9:56:00 AM

While the tornadoes that swept across the Midwest last year were devastating for many Americans, there was a silver lining in the clouds - an uptick for local construction companies.

The Joplin Globe reports that 640 permits have been issued since the natural disaster, sending many construction companies that were struggling back to work. Greg Edster, who owns G&H Redi-Mix in Missouri, was worried that his concrete equipment would sit largely unused this year and even thought he might have to close up shop. Now, his business is booming.

"We've added five new trucks and hired some drivers," Edster told the news source. "We have pulled in drivers from our other plants. Our business is up 50 percent."

Since a tornado blew through the town on May 22nd of 2011, the city reports that approximately $302 million worth of new construction projects have been approved.

Businesses that find themselves with a sudden influx of new projects will have to invest in construction equipment quickly in order to get their jobs done. The online auction site IronPlanet is a great resource in this regard, as it's often more affordable to purchase used construction equipment there than buying new.

Topics: Construction, Industry Headlines