Business impacted by tornado for second time

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - A Jonesboro company is experiencing deja vu.

On March 28, 2020, Camfil USA was hit by a tornado in Jonesboro.

While their new facility was being built, they opened a temporary factory in Trumann.

On Friday, a twister tore through that building.

“What are the odds of one company getting hit two times in 20 months?” asked Armando Brunetti, Camfil president of the Americas.

The 2020 tornado took the entire metal fabrication facility.

The company is going through another recovery process fast forward to last week.

“That experience we had 20 months ago is really helping us and will help us recover a lot more quickly this time around,” said Brunetti.

He is glad there were no injuries or lives lost, but now their temporary building was hit pretty hard.

Ron Mansfield is a welder for the company.

“Maybe once, but twice. You just wouldn’t think it would happen like that,” said Mansfield.

He was there moments before the tornado hit the Trumann location.

Although the company is trying to recover what they can, employees can still work in other areas.

“Because this company has been all about their people and I do appreciate that,” he said. “If it would have been some other company, we might not have a job.”

Brunetti said they are working with local manufacturers to use their equipment while they rebuild yet again.

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