GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.,– As clean up continues in parts of the Midwest after tornadoes left homes and businesses destroyed last week, one business back here in West Michigan says it’s helping in a unique way. Just time in for the busiest shopping day of the year.
Wild Bill’s Liquidation Station on Plainfield and 4 Mile in Plainfield Twp, was just getting ready to close up shop but now they have more than three million dollars in merchandise from a department store in Kokomo, Indiana.
Owner, Bill Melvin says a lot of the merchandise is barely damaged but insurance companies don’t see it that way.
“The storm came right over the store, people in the store all rushed into the corner and everyone was safe. Quickly after that, they call in the insurance company, they say everything in here needs to come out, there’s some dust on the shirts, and ceiling tiles fell,” he said.
The team did the same thing back in 2005 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, this time around it took about four days to pack up all the merchandise and then ship it out to Grand Rapids. Melvin says everything will be sold 40-70% off.
“Obviously we wouldn’t wish a natural disaster on anybody and they don’t happen that often but when they do you hope many people aren’t affected. But that’s part of what we do, we rush in so we can get the store emptied out and they can get their store back to normal, get employees back to a normal life.”
The Liquidation Station will be open Friday and Melvin says through the weekend and beginning of the week even more merchandise will be available as they continue to process it.
