Michigan Shops See Flurry of Business Following Last Week's Hail Storms

Shops throughout Michigan, particularly in Grand Rapids, Charlotte, and Lansing, are seeing an increase in business this week following a hailstorm, accompanied by some flooding, late last week. Fortunately, though, all of the shops interviewed by glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine escaped the storms unscathed.

"We haven't been affected [personally] by the storms, but we have seen an increase in glass breakage," says David Howerzyl of Clear Image Auto Glass in Grand Rapids.

Ryan Halsey, manager of Harmon Auto Glass in Charlotte, has been working with body shops who are writing estimates non-stop-and expects a surge in business to be in the near future.

"My business hasn't increased yet from the storm, but it's going to this week," he says. "The hail pelts the roof, the hood and the trunk lid, and they have to pull the glass out to replace the panels or roof," he says. "[The body shops] pull the glass out and we then replace it."

Sharon Sudall of Go Green Auto Glass in Lansing, Mich., is expecting the glass work to come soon-but after much other work is done.

"It's almost like the vehicles are kind of an afterthought, whereas the homes and trees and getting the power back up is first [on the list]," she says.

Many throughout Michigan were without power from Thursday of last week through Saturday, according to various news reports.

Are you in an area that has seen many summer storms coming your way this season? If so, are you seeing an increase in business from these? Please e-mail glassBYTEs.com at pstacey@glass.com.

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