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Rockford, IL--After a long winter break, Busch Jewelers is back in business, determined to bounce back from an unexpected setback. On Christmas Day, the store located at 1960 Pawlisch Drive sustained heavy water damage after the sprinkler system froze and burst, drenching the building with 5-7 inches of water.

[Image via Busch Jewelers]

According to Rockford Register Star, Busch Jewelers President and CEO Mitch Busch stated, "It was literally a downpour in here." The damage was substantial and required the replacement of the store's ceiling, electrical system, and carpeting — a rework that cost around $100,000.

Despite the setback, Busch and his team of contractors worked tirelessly to get the store up and running again. "We've been working like beavers from the 26th on," Busch said, as per the report. "All of the contractors that we hired were fantastic and came through."

A line of eager customers was waiting to shop when the store resumed its regular business hours on Saturday morning. "We had about 15 people waiting to get in," Busch noted. "We had the snowstorm, and we thought that would slow us down but it didn't. The customers kept on coming."

Busch Jewelers has a long history in Rockford, initially based in Michigan before relocating to 213 W. State St. in 1927. The business opened a second store at CherryVale Mall in 1976 and later moved into its current location near CherryVale Mall in 1987.

Mitch Busch, who has been a part of the family business for 56 years, acknowledged that the past month's events are unprecedented. "We've never had any problem like that ever before," he said. "We've had the pandemic, of course. We've had armed robberies, but never anything like burst pipes."

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