PELLA — Vermeer will rebuild. But it will take some time.
Vermeer CEO and President Jason Andringa speculated Friday the Vermeer complex in eastern Pella might be up to half its normal production in “the near term.” Production of some sort is expected to begin at the complex early next week. Getting operations back to full scale, though, will take far longer.
“It will likely be a while before the Vermeer mile is back up and running the way it was,” Andringa said. However, he is hopeful that by the end of next week the complex could be running at about 50 percent of its normal operating capacity.
At least two of Vermeer’s buildings are considered a total loss. Structural assessments, still pending, could worsen that outlook.
Meanwhile, Andringa said the human resources team is working to ensure that employees out of work are aware of their options.
Seven people were transported to Pella Regional Health Center Thursday following the tornado. By the 8:30 p.m. press briefing Thursday, all seven had been treated and released with minor injuries. An unknown number of people were treated on site and not transported.
Considering that the National Weather Service rated Thursday’s tornado an EF3 — the strongest on record in Iowa, pending Marshalltown’s assessment from Thursday’s storm — officials have been relieved that the injury assessment wasn’t worse.
“It was both a sense of, ‘Ow, this really hurts the employees and the community’ and ‘Wow, it could have been a lot worse,’” Pella Mayor Jim Mueller said. “In the end, it’s clear that everybody is willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and do whatever it takes.”
Mueller has no doubt, and neither did Gov. Kim Reynolds Friday, that Vermeer will come back stronger than ever.
“You’ve got talented, motivated people, gifted people, who are used to finding solutions for difficult problems,” Mueller said. “They will come back stronger than ever.”
The devastation left behind, though, is another story.
On Friday, cars remained scattered though tow trucks have begun clearing the wreckage. The tornado, at more than one place, stacked cars three high.
Debris was scattered into a nearby cornfield. Agriculture has taken a hit, as well. Cornfields in the area lay completely flat, with debris scattered among their rows.
Some homes in the area received damaged, though none are leveled by any means. A couple of barns received significant damage — some rendered nearly unrecognizable. A dollar amount of damage was not yet available Friday afternoon.
The tornado came around the time Vermeer employees were changing shifts. On the campus at the Vermeer Pavilion, the company was hosting many of its customers for a customer appreciation event.
More than a dozen surrounding entities brought emergency responders. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday that responders were on the scene before employees began leaving their sheltered areas.
Vermeer’s safety plans have received great credit. Andringa said each plant has at least one tornado shelter area. Drills are rehearsed, and Andringa and other employees say those drills paid off in preventing more injuries.
CNHI reporters Nicole Presley, Pat Finan and Matt Milner contributed to this report.
by Kyle Ocker, Matt Milner, Nicole Presley and Pat Finan-CNHI Iowa staff writers (2018, July 22) The Oskaloosa Herald
