Tornado rebuilding boosts construction industry

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) - The rebuilding effort after this spring's deadly tornadoes has helped lift Alabama's struggling construction industry.

A report from the Center for Business at the University of Alabama finds that state residents will spend somewhere between $2.6 billion and $4.2 billion on rebuilding efforts. Researchers expected about $1 billion will be spent this year, with the remainder following next year.

Calhoun County builder David Kelly, who installs drywall, told The Anniston Star (http://bit.ly/n1wXT1 ) that before the tornadoes struck, he was struggling to get by week-by-week. He says business has now started to pick up.

Homebuilder Tony Porco also says the recovery efforts after the storms stimulated the demand for construction work. While he says he hates thinking about benefiting from other people's troubles, he says someone needs to do the repair work.
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Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/