Hutson Inc’s flagship location in Mayfield, Ky., was destroyed by the tornado that ripped through Kentucky overnight on Dec. 10. However, all employees are healthy and accounted for, Josh Waggener, president and CEO of the John Deere dealership said in a LinkedIn post on Dec. 12.
“We had heroes show up from our team in the middle of the night. They waded through debris and used what equipment they could salvage to assist with rescue efforts at a candle plant located next to us that had mass casualties. It’s the very foundation of expectations the Hutson Culture is proudly built upon,” Waggener wrote.
The town of Mayfield suffered some of the most extensive damage on the tornado’s path. Hutson is located next door to a candle factory where multiple casualties occurred, according to a report from Equipment World.
“Our highly aligned partners at John Deere have been reaching out non-stop to insure we are getting our needs met. We’ve received calls from TBM’s all the way up to the President of Worldwide Ag & Turf, looking for ways to support our needs. Makes me very proud to be a part of the John Deere team,” said Waggener.
Case IH dealer H&R Agri-Power's Mayfield location was closed to the public on Dec. 13 as employees assessed the damage and recovered from the tornado. By Dec. 14, the Mayfield store reported its phone and internet services had been restored.
Mahindra dealer Mayfield Lawn & Garden also had some building damage, however the business was able to stay open according to a Facebook post.
While First Choice Farm & Lawn in Mayfield didn’t report any damage, the Kubota dealership shared on Facebook that one of its employees and his family lost their homes and most of their belongings in the tornado. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with clean up and rebuilding of their homes.
As of Wednesday morning, at least 74 people have died in the region. At least 14 others were killed in Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri. More than 60 tornado reports were made in 8 states in the Midwest and South Friday night and Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
