JAG BODY SHOP IN BAGLEY HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THEIR SALES AND BUSINESS AS A DIRECT RESULT OF LINE 3 CONSTRUCTION AND SAY THE PROJECT HAS HELPED COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES ACROSS THE ROUTE
(BAGLEY, MINN) For almost two decades the JAG Body Shop has served customers in the Bagley area by offering towing services, equipment rentals, signs, decals, banners and other body work. While it has been able to develop a customer base, this year their sales have dramatically increased because of the Line 3 project. The business has extended its hours and is seeing an uptick in demand for all of their services from pipeline workers at a time when the entire community needed a boost.
“The change when construction work started was significant for our business,” said John Gerbracht, the JAG Body Shop co-owner. “For us it meant transitioning from being focused on thriving instead of just surviving the economic challenges from last year. We are now seeing an increase in all aspects of our business, which typically doesn’t simultaneously occur. There is no question that this is because of the construction of Line 3.”
Construction started in early December of 2020 across 14 counties and has now completed the first full phase of work. The project is now more than 50 percent complete as work will pause for a long-planned two-month break because of Minnesota’s road weight restrictions that are part of the transition from winter to spring. Line 3 has supported a workforce that at times exceeded 5,000 people as crews initially started clearing the route corridor of trees and moving sections of pipe to different locations to welding and installing other sections of the line.
The Line 3 Replacement project started in 2014 during the Obama-Biden Administration when there was a consent decree ordering Enbridge to replace the pipeline. Enbridge then worked with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to submit an application to seek approval for replacing Line 3 in 2015 as part of the company’s integrity and maintenance driven program. Line 3 is now the most reviewed pipeline project in Minnesota history and has been reviewed by state and federal agencies and regulators for almost six years.
“The Line 3 project is tremendously helping communities across the route,” Gerbracht said. “We have been extremely busy with our tow trucks hauling vehicles to dealerships for repairs especially in these extreme cold temperatures. Line 3 is a much-needed infrastructure update for our community and for the entire country. In our business we need oil for our parts, paints, car repairs, to heat our buildings, and to run our equipment and trucks. Being on the local fire department for 20+ years, I have learned that the pipeline is the safest way to move oil from point A to point B.”
About the JAG Body Shop
The JAG Body Shop, LLC has been in business for 20 years in Bagley. The initials JAG are for John Arlo Gerbracht, the owner. When it first started, JAG initially offered auto body work, glass repair and replacement. The company has been able to grow its business and expand to include towing services, equipment rentals, signs, decals and banners. JAG now has five trucks and trailers that haul logs to the mills from different job sites.
“We work hard every day to earn the trust of our customers who count on us for so many different things,” Gerbracht said. “It has been great to be able to add more ways to serve our customers and we love being part of the community. After seeing the impact of the past year, it has been refreshing to see things change so quickly and in such a positive way because of Line 3.”
Contact: Susan Goudge
Susan@Minnesotansforline3.com | 218-556-3617