By Rod Zook

The two recent winter storms have been a boost to a local salt business, Hutchinson Salt Company. The company says they have been sending out 150 truck loads per day since the first storm last week.

According to Supervisor Myron Marcotte, the real benefit from the storms will be felt during the summer months when cities and counties begin to replenish their supplies. He said that the storms have been a blessing for them after more then two years of down time due to the lack of snow fall.

Government’s used to buy salt and sand on an as needed basis. But when a large winter storm hit the Midwest several years ago, many changed their policy and now buy their winter salt and sand supplies in the summer at a bulk rate.

Both the city of Hutchinson and Reno County report that their supply of sand and salt are in good shape. The city used more then 600-tons of salt during the two storms.

Marcotte says most of the salt being trucked out from the Hutchinson plant are on their way to Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.