Residents took advantage of tax break for hurricane supplies

With the deadline about to expire on a statewide tax holiday on hurricane supplies, Bonita Springs resident J.F. Workman could think of no better time to finally buy a generator.

So with fewer than six hours left before the 12-day tax break was to end, Workman found himself inside the Sunshine Ace Hardware store on Bonita Beach Road late Thursday afternoon, checking out the selection of generators. At $600 for a generator, he’d be saving more than $35 in taxes on his purchase.

“I was going to buy one anyway,” Workman said.

At midnight Thursday, the tax exemption on hurricane supplies ended. But while it lasted, lots of residents took advantage of the savings, said Jim Batts, Ace’s store manager.

From May 21 to June 1, the hardware store sold plenty of generators, gas cans and batteries, Batts said.

Sales were better than in years past, Batts said. He said that could be because the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons were so rough on the region.

“We’ve sold more (this year),” Batts said. “I’m happy because our public is taking it seriously.”

Workman, 60, has never been through a hurricane. He moved to Bonita Springs from Tennessee in December to take a job with the city of Naples.

“People I work with said I needed to get A, B, C and D (to prepare for a hurricane), so I did,” Workman said.

Business was also brisk at Lowe’s home improvement store in Naples.

“After the (past) two seasons of hurricanes, people are looking ahead. They’re kind of waking up,” said Bill Kinzer, a zone manager at Lowe’s on Airport-Pulling Road in Naples.

Store managers said they saw an increase in customers during this year’s sales tax holiday.

“Customers are much more alert to the potential for a hurricane in Florida,” said Reed Winters, manager of Home Depot on Pine Ridge Road. “I would say there are more people asking questions concerning hurricane preparedness.”

Winters said customers asked about “everything from flashlights to generators.”

Photo by MICHEL FORTIER, Daily News

Naples resident Bob Frederiksen loads a generator onto a dolly for purchase with the assistance of employee Jeanette Thevning at the Bonita Springs Home Depot on Thursday, the last day to purchase hurricane supplies tax-free. Thursday also marked the first day of hurricane season, which has been predicted to be another busy season with at least five major hurricanes. After being without power after Hurricane Wilma last year, Frederiksen, like many, decided to purchase a generator for the upcoming season.

Sales of hurricane supplies were steady this year, Winters said, who said he did not anticipate an increase of last-minute customers. Some of the most popular items at Home Depot were generators, gas cans and lanterns.

“I think that what comes to people’s minds first: ‘How am I going to get power?’¤” he said.

At Lowe’s on Airport-Pulling Road, short clinics were held every hour on the weekends during the holiday to teach customers hurricane preparation tips, such as generator use, safety and storm shutter installation.

“With the new housing, there’s more inclination to stay,” Kinzer said.

Protecting real estate prices also is another motivation for people to prepare for hurricanes, said Michael Conniff, a three-year resident of Bonita Springs. “Real estate property is going up and up,” said the 46-year-old Navy retiree. “People are preparing for insurance purposes.”

Both Home Depot and Lowe’s offered an additional 7.5 percent discount on hurricane supplies during the holiday.

Lowe’s ran out of hurricane shutters toward end of the tax-free holiday, but allowed customers to pre-order them at the tax-free price, Kinzer said.

Kinzer said he expected a flood of customers as the holiday came to a close but the store closed at 9 p.m., as usual. Ron Verhine of Bonita Springs missed most of the tax holiday because he was at his son’s college orientation, “but I have a lot of stuff from previous experiences,” he said.

Other customers at hardware and retail stores said they were not concerned about getting supplies this year because they have enough from previous years.

“We have everything and we’ve been getting stuff all along,” said Kit Morales of Bonita Springs, who was shopping for a dishwasher and refrigerator at Lowe’s.

She said she got the bulk of her hurricane supplies in the past two years.

For other customers, hurricane preparation is an annual event.

“At the end of the season, I donate everything and I start new each year,” said Kitty Smith, who as shopping at Wal-Mart on U.S. 41. Smith said she is “continually shopping” for hurricane supplies; yesterday, she bought toilet paper in preparation of the hurricane.

Marian Boyce finished her shopping the first day of the holiday and bought “$35 worth of batteries” along with a battery-operated lantern, fan and lamp.

The 84-year-old East Naples resident was at Wal-Mart on the deadline day to pick up some extra batteries and other last-minute items, along with graduation cards.

Todd Conklin, a Fort Myers resident, isn’t sweating it.

“If I hear a hurricane is coming, that’s when I move,” said Todd Conklin, 45.