Post-fire rebuilding continues at Precision Machine Shop

Josh Pitts, lower right, steadies the steel as John Kloss hoists it to John Gibson, left, and Dale Schlup, at right, iron workers who will then fasten them to the beams. Steel is going up as construction continues at the Christy Drive location of Precision Machine, which was destroyed by fire Aug. 9, 2012. WAVCO Construction is the contractor on the job, which includes a 60' x 60' addition to the Jefferson City business.
Josh Pitts, lower right, steadies the steel as John Kloss hoists it to John Gibson, left, and Dale Schlup, at right, iron workers who will then fasten them to the beams. Steel is going up as construction continues at the Christy Drive location of Precision Machine, which was destroyed by fire Aug. 9, 2012. WAVCO Construction is the contractor on the job, which includes a 60' x 60' addition to the Jefferson City business.

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Francis Juarez, Alvaro Ferrey and Mercedes Ferrey

Friday was the one-year anniversary of the fire that destroyed Precision Machine Shop at 1703 Christy Drive, and the shop has just started rebuilding at that Jefferson City location.

"It's been a long road," owner Brian Hager said. But he said the city, his insurance company and the entire community have been extremely supportive through what he hoped would be a shorter process to get up and running at the same location.

In the meantime, the business is operating at 2713 W. Main St., with about half the business it had before the fire. Some customers continue to think that the fire drove him out of business.

The back part of the building is being constructed now, as well as the A-frame crossbeams. He hopes to open back at the Christy Drive location in October.

"I had all intentions of being here the first of the year. I had all intentions of being in by March, and I had all the intentions of being in by the first of June," he said. "Everyone said it takes awhile, but I was hopeful it wouldn't take this long."

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