SILVIS, Illinois -
As Floor Manager Matt Carter makes the rounds at Anchor Lumber on Wednesday, things seem different.
"I have to remember where we moved everything," he said.
Carter was working one year ago when a massive fire broke out at the store on 1505 1st Avenue in Silvis.
"It was just a perfect storm," he recalled.
While the official cause remains undetermined, staffers blame a smouldering cigarette butt.
"It was much worse than we originally thought," added Anchor Lumber's Rick Van Oteghem.
The wind-whipped fire, flames, heat and thick smoke challenged first responders from several departments.
"I wouldn't have ever expected it to spread that fast," said Silvis Fire Chief Dave Leibovitz.
Nobody was hurt, but the fire caused up to $4 million in damage.
"One of the main problems was that it had a metal roof," Chief Leibovitz continued. "It did not come through the roof anywhere."
Yet, less than 12 hours later, Anchor Lumber was open for business.
"We hit the power," Van Oteghem recalled. "Everything came up, and we went to work."
Customers showed up at 7:30 a.m. to pick up lumber and make deliveries.
"It was like business as usual, but with 5,000 or so square feet gone," said Carter.
The tough work really continued over the following months.
Loyal customers like Pete Mullesch were paying attention.
"They all had a great attitude," he said.
Some 65 employees stayed on the job to literally redesign the store.
"They had smiles all the way through it," Mullesch recalled.
Eventually, a new look rose from the ashes at Anchor Lumber.
"It's bright," Carter said. "It's clean. It's easy to shop."
A large sign with "Thank You" messages to the community remains on display as a lasting tribute.
And outside, workers are putting finishing touches on a new entrance.
"We depend on the community, and they depend on us," Van Oteghem said. "It was important for us to stay."
This hardware store plans to be anchored in Silvis for decades to come.
After debuting back in 1962, it's determined to stick around.
"We love our customers, and we're glad to see them come back," Carter concluded.