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Heavy on the Salt
GREENCASTLE -- It took a crazy week to surprise someone who's been in business for a quarter century.
That's exactly what last week was, though, and Headley Hardware owner Randall Jones is scratching his head over the amount of ice melt he's seen move through his store.
"I think this is crazy," Jones said. "I've never seen anything like this before."
So far this winter, the Greencastle store has sold 147 tons of ice melt, with 40 new tons arriving on Tuesday morning.
For the first time in 25 years, Jones said Headley's ran out of salt last Thursday, the day the community really began moving again after the ice storm gripped Putnam County from Monday evening to Wednesday.
All this was after selling 60 tons last Monday.
Then on Saturday, the store got a new shipment. It was an intense day -- a truckload sold in an hour and 10 minutes -- but one that made Jones proud to have a business in Greencastle.
The customers picked up their bags of salt in front of the store, but had to go inside to pay. Even with 50 to 60 cars packing the parking lot, no patrons stiffed the store.
"It came out exactly perfect," Jones said. "Not one person left without paying."
Jones also said he's seen reports on television of stores in Indianapolis not being able to get the product. He said this has not been the case in Greencastle.
"The storeowners that say they can't get the product or don't know what to do -- that isn't us," Jones said.
He also said this is a time to take care of customers, not gouge them with high prices in a time of misfortune.
"The prices are set for the season," he said. "I'm pleased to be able to provide the product. People have to remember that we're here for the bad things."
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the business hasn't been the ice melt -- they've either had it on hand to sell or they haven't. Some of the other products needed to recover from the storm have come about from customer demand.
The store has seen lots of sales of electrical products for downed lines. They moved plenty of generators and kerosene heaters as the storm approached. They've sold tools for chipping ice such as sledge hammers, picks, mattocks and digging bars.
Now people need chainsaws, pruning saws, loppers and other cutting tools and accessories.
One customer came to rent the store's log splitter, which had been left outside the night before. Before for the hydraulics would work, it had to be stored inside overnight.
"Some of it was so obvious, like the ice melt, but some of the other stuff -- it took people asking for us to think of the secondary and tertiary things," Jones said.
After more than a week of craziness and a busy winter overall, Jones give credit to his employees.
"I have 22 top of the line employees," he said.
At this point, the challenge moves to staying stocked on ice melt and other potential needs for the remainder of the winter. Jones said the store has another shipment of salt set for today and one on Friday. They carried over 25 tons from last winter to this winter, and he hopes to be in a similar situation come spring.
He simply wants to make sure the store is there to serve a need in the community.
"The main thing is we provide a product that keeps everybody as safe as they can be," Jones said.