When President Barack Obama took office in 2008, gun owners got a little nervous about the prospect of what he might do in terms of gun-control legislation.

That nervousness prompted a significant increase in gun sales and the purchase of ammunition. At the time, Silvercreek Sporting Goods inside the parts and service building at Wheelen RV Center, 4301 S. Range Line Road, sold only ammunition.

After the election, they sold a lot of ammunition, but no guns because they did not have a federal permit to sell firearms. Their customers suggested they obtain a permit. Three months later, they were in the business of selling guns from a former supply room in their service building. The same people who supplied them with their specialty ammunition would supply them with guns.

It turned out to be a wise decision. When the recession hit, sales of recreational vehicles plummeted.

Silvercreek Guns & Sporting Goods has been open for about a year and a half. When the tornado hit on May 22, business boomed. But Bob Reid, manager of the shop, almost did not live to see that happen.

“I lived at 23rd and Pennsylvania. If you were to draw a diagonal line from St. John’s (Regional Medical Center) to the high school, my house would be under it,’’ he said.

Reid lived at the point in the tornado’s path where it intensified into a 200-mph monster.

“I was watching TV in my garage. I was paying attention to the weather,’’ he said. “I saw where it looked like it was going north of us through Carl Junction and Asbury. I heard the sirens go off. I went outside. The sky was clear. I went back inside.’’

A short time later, Reid heard two loud thumps outside.

“I thought they were hailstones. I took two steps toward the door. That’s when the garage exploded. I thought for a moment that I was going to be carried away,’’ he recalled.

A wall of the garage fell on him. It protected him from flying debris, but he was still battered. His right arm and three ribs were fractured. He had a lot of puncture wounds. He was under the wall for 45 minutes before someone found him.

When he had recovered enough to go back to work, he found that business was brisk. Two of Joplin’s top gun retailers, Wal-Mart and Academy Sports and Outdoors, were destroyed by the tornado. People who had lost their guns in the storm were replacing them. Ammunition sales spiked. There also were many first-time buyers concerned about looters.

“There were times when I would spend all day on the phone with the FBI doing background checks,’’ he said, noting that sales continue to be strong.

If you visit his shop, make note of Reid’s business card, which describes the shop as the “Best Kept Secret in Joplin.’’

Not anymore.



Reopenings

King’s Palace, an Asian restaurant at 1401 S. Range Line Road, reopened this past Sunday.

Academy Sports and Outdoors, 1717 S. Range Line Road, reopened on Friday.

Also reopening on Friday was Payless ShoeSource, 1502 S. Range Line Road.



New business

Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products, is opening a branch on Monday at 1705 S. Main St.

The shop will staff three full-time employees and will stock local inventory with daily deliveries from Graybar’s operation in Springfield.

 “We’ve been serving the Joplin area out of our Springfield location for some time and are excited to bring a higher level of service to our customers with this new branch,” said Mike Dumas, Graybar’s St. Louis district vice president.

 Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with after-hours emergency service offered.

 The opening of this storefront appears to be part of a trend that has occurred since the tornado. Companies are leasing warehouse and other available spaces to have a stronger local presence for the rebuilding of Joplin, according to a commercial real estate agent who has helped lease those spaces.

 This is good news for Joplin’s recovery. Jobs that have been lost are being replaced.



If you have news about something happening on Range Line Road or Main Street, call 417-623-3480, ext. 7250; or send an email to wkennedy@joplinglobe.com; or send a fax to Wally Kennedy at 417-623-8598.