LEAVENWORTH COUNTY, Kan. --
In the Leavenworth, Kansas area, northwest of Kansas City, the snow came down first thing in the morning on Monday. Wrecked cars and winter weather are good for Jeff Asher at Main Street Auto Body in Lansing.
"In cold weather we give jumpstarts, and help people starting their car early in the morning, locking keys in car on accident.
We're hoping this weather helps us here this week, and we have a good winter."
To him, a good winter means lots of storms.
Business has been slow for body shops the last two years because of the recession.
Asher says many drivers with damaged cars have been pocketing the insurance payout or delaying repairs.
"A lot of people just take that insurance money, whether it's two-thousand or four-thousand, and if the car's not driveable, (they're) just keeping the money and paying bills, or not really spending it on anything, just paying it on bills," says Asher.
Asher had to lay off one worker for two weeks. But the return of snow and ice may helps businesses like this keep his employees on the job.
One thing that helps body shops in the Leavenworth and Lansing area stay busy is the fresh crop of military workers from sunshine states who have never driven on snow and ice.
Asher says those fender benders are good for business.
