Excel employees prepare to head back to work

Excel Industries says it will start operating again, Thursday, two weeks after the shooting that left four people dead.

A message on the company's hotline says Thursday will be a regular scheduled 10-hour day.

Employees will get the chance to visit the company before heading back to work. The company says it will re-open its doors to employees and their families Wednesday, March 9th.

Excel says workers can come and go that day from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and to feel free to spend as much time as needed on campus. They will need a badge or photo identification to access the building.

As rain pours down on the Excel building in Hesston, workers say painful memories begin to wash away. A memorial next to the building is seeing the effects - smeared marker and wilted flowers.

But employees said the company will find a bright light despite the clouds.

Employee Chris Shumer said, " I think not only will we go back to normal, I truly believe that this will make us stronger. We will appreciate each other more. We will feel more as a family, we've been through a lot and to get back together with all the employees and coworkers and show that we can overcome this and get back to work and work together as a family as a team, it's going to be a relief. It's going to be hard. But I truly believe we can do it."

Shumer said he's anxious to get back to work and spend time with his colleagues. He said he wants to get back to his job as well.

"I'm definitely ready for that whistle to blow at 4:00 a.m. and get back to work," he said. "We owe it to the people of the tragedy, we owe it to the people and their families to show them that we can come together and we can put our best foot forward, we can get back to work."

Excel said employees can bring clergy with them if they like Wednesday, something Pastor J.L. Martin said is a positive thing.

"The first time going back after a tragedy like this is probably going to be hard for them and so to be able to go back and to go with people that they trust and that can be there because there will probably be a lot of tears and a lot of emotions as they go back in. So I think that's a good way for the employees to kind of have a safe way to go back to work and to get ready to go back to work on Thursday," he said.

Martin said he and other pastors will be there for employees to lean on and to remind workers that through God and in Christ, they can find strength. He said that's important in a time when the community is focused on being strong.

"You know the motto has been Hesston Strong and our community is very strong but sometimes that can portray, you have to move on quickly and so as a pastor to be able to let them know that there might be tears and there will be emotions and there will be mourning and grieving and to know that in ourselves, we can't be strong, but in Christ there is someone outside of ourselves that is strong for us," he said.

He said it's a good idea for Excel to allow for the day of grieving and he wants all workers to know their emotions are okay, regardless of what they are.

"Tears and sadness and fear, anxiety. Those are real emotions and it is not weak to show those emotions. Those are real. And we need to allow those emotions and so I think Excel management giving them the day to come back in before work starts is just very wise and so they can deal with some of those emotions. The first time they come back is not I have to be a productive worker, I can deal with those emotions."

Shuman said while he knows there will be those mixed emotions, the workers have a responsibility.

"We owe it to Excel and to all the employees and everybody involved to put our best foot forward and get back to work and show them what we're made of," he said.

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