Just 10 weeks after the May 22 tornado destroyed Donnie Braun & Sons Auto Repair and Braun Storage, the Braun family is reopening a temporary auto shop to continue serving their customers.
The temporary shop will open Monday and will operate during regular hours - 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Alan Braun said they've been spending the last 10 weeks trying to rebuild their storage complex, which was heavily damaged in the tornado, but wanted to get the auto shop back up and running as well.
Thanks to the work of Doug Schrimpf Construction and Turk's Construction, the new temporary shop is ready to open.
"What we've been told is, to get something built and get in it and operational in the time we did is a pretty good deal. Not everybody can do that," Braun said.
Due to its smaller size and lack of some equipment, the temporary shop won't be able to do all the services the original shop could. It won't be big enough to do adjustments, and they don't have a tire machine.
Some other jobs won't be doable yet, but Braun said the tools should arrive in the next couple weeks.
They hope to serve the same number of customers despite the smaller shop.
Braun said they intend to have a new, permanent shop built about a year from now, but since they've been focusing on the storage complex and getting a temporary shop built, they haven't made much progress on it.
Braun also said they are trying to make progress on the storage complex. Four of the buildings were damaged but not destroyed, so they are trying to rebuild those before tackling the completely demolished ones. They hope to have the storage complex finished in about a year, as well.
The quick turnaround of the auto shop comes partly in thanks to the community, Braun said.
"We had a lot of volunteers that helped get us to where we're at, and we really appreciate all the help that the community has given the family and our employees during this time," Braun said.
The temporary shop is at the original site of Donnie Braun & Sons at 2900 Renns Lake Road off U.S. 54.
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