HACKLEBURG - Where there was just a large plot of dirt on the first anniversary of the April 27, 2011, tornadoes now stands the shell of the Wrangler distribution plant.

In time, it will replace the building destroyed in the storm.

Residents said the plant's reconstruction sparks hope that their town is coming back to life after the devastating tornado ripped it apart, leaving death and destruction in its path.

"We're going to come back, and it appears that we're doing better than I thought we would after the tornado," Marion County Commissioner Don Barnwell said. "I thought there would be no way we would come back in even two years. Now, it's a little over a year and we're coming back."

Sam Tucker, vice president for human resources for VF Corp., Wrangler's parent plant, said the estimated completion time for the building is mid-2013. Wrangler is the town's largest employer.

"Of course, we would like to beat that date, but we've had some weather challenges," he said. "We're still going with that target date."

Tucker said the new building initially will employ the same number of employees as the old building - 150 - but will have the capacity to add an additional 50 employees if there's a need.

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[Times Daily]