By Mandy McFarland Editor
NAPPANEE — It will take more than a little wind to keep local business owners from giving up leaving town.
This seems to be the overall attitude of Nappanee business owners whose property suffered heavy damage or was destroyed during the F-3 level tornado that ripped through town Thursday, Oct. 18.
Marty and Ted, Inc.
Some have already re-opened and are doing their best with what they have left.
Marty and Ted, Inc. opened within days of the storm despite losing half their roof and everything in their show room.
“We’re a little limited on the service part,” co-owner Dale Bluckner said.
Bluckner and his brothers, Gene and Lonnie, await word from their insurance company before they begin rebuilding.
“We’re kind of in limbo now,” Bluckner said.

Marty and Ted, which sells farm equipment, lawn equipment and skid steers, also known as Bobcats, has been in town 61 years, and will not go anywhere for now, according to Bluckner.
“Six months from now, things might look real nice,” he said.
Franklin Coach
Franklin Coach owner Rick Abel also awaits word from his insurance company. The fate of his business seems uncertain at the moment. Franklin Coach has been in Nappanee since 1945. However, in the few seconds it takes for a tornado to wreak its havoc, this could forever change.
“We’ve been on the same site 62 years,” he said. “Until (that) Thursday.”
Abel and his brothers, Steve and Don, hope to either rebuild onsite or purchase an existing building and start over.
“We won’t know until later,” Abel said.
Restaurants
According to the Nappanee Area Chamber of Commerce, the two major fast food franchises, Dairy Queen and Taco Bell, will rebuild.
Both buildings sustained heavy damage.
While the Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken complex will most likely remain where it is, the Dairy Queen could upgrade and move to a new site.
John Simmons feels damage to the existing building is minimal, which would allow the restaurant to remain where it is, should owners so choose.
“I would have to say it seems to be mostly cosmetic damage,” he said. “It looks worse than it really is.”
Simmons and his family were vacationing in Florida when he received a phone call about the tornado. He said that his main concern, however, was not the property but the people who work there.
“We were very thankful that it happened when our employees had gotten out of there,” he said. “Things can be rebuilt but our employees are like family to us.”
Simmons hopes to see the existing employees return after the store is completed.
“We are working with them almost daily to work with us when we build the new store,” he said.
A few potential upgrades include a Grill-N-Chill and enough seating for 88 people. This will make the new store three times bigger than the old one.
The timing of the store will make rebuilding difficult until next spring. Simmons hopes to begin in either April or May at the earliest.
Other businesses
Fairmont Homes has also resumed production for the most part.
Other businesses that received damage included Beauty and Body Works, the Marathon station and a number of others.