One year ago, the Morris family experienced a total loss. Their three homes and artesian water bottling facility in Blue River burned to the ground. Today, just after the first anniversary of the Holiday Farm fire—they have something to celebrate.
“McKenzie Mist water has returned.” So reads a sign at the door of the company’s distribution site. Over the last 12 months, CEO Molly Morris and her family have cleared their burnt-out property, rebuilt the massive water storage facility and thoroughly tested the aquifer from which their award-winning water flows.
"That was probably the easiest part-- getting the wells to sing again and come on up and start flowing," Morris said. "The harder part was the infrastructure, plumbing, electric and equipment.”
Morris said the pandemic caused shortages in skilled labor and parts. She’s proud that patrons stuck with them. “Our customers asked for it--they were our biggest cheer leaders." Adding with pride, "they promised to wait for it and they kept their promise."
Now, with the new systems, Morris said they can bottle up to 3,000 gallons of McKenzie Mist water each day.
"We can't let a fire stop us," has been Morris' mantra over the last twelve months.
Reporters note: Check out this report filed one year ago after Molly Morris and her family learned they had lost everything in the Holiday Farm fire. Everything that is except the pure artesian water deep underground--and hope.
