Hurricane-Damaged Pep Boys Store Reopens

Dec. 10, 2019

Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack has reopened its Panama City, Fla., store, which was significantly damaged by Hurricane Michael last year.

The Category 5 storm destroyed the location’s bay doors and large sections of its roof, as well as the store’s windows and exterior.

Since then, the store has been completely renovated and now has 12 service bays containing new equipment, as well as a new customer waiting area.

“The reopening of the Panama City Pep Boys shows our commitment to serving customers, and it’s also a representation of the heart and resilience of the community,” says Brian Kaner, CEO-Service, Icahn Automotive Group LLC, which owns Pep Boys.

After the storm subsided, Icahn Automotive sent two Pep Boys trailers to help with repairs, including the many tires flat from nails and storm debris. Pep Boys technicians, some who were brought in from other locations and many who were facing personal storm-related challenges, worked to fix up to 70 cars on some days to help put customers' vehicles back on the road.

Pep Boys employees also volunteered to serve food to local residents after the storm. And more than 20 Pep Boys employees from another Florida location worked with members of their community to collect and send supplies to Panama City.