SAINT ULRIC, Louisiana (CNM) -- The Bayou Power Equipment plant in Saint Ulric has been running three shifts a day since August to keep up with orders for its portable generators, and the backlog still stretches into next year.
"People want them by December 31. We are telling them February 15," said sales manager Dupree Thibodeaux. "Most of them still buy one. I guess they figure there will be another emergency eventually."
Hardware chains report similar shortages of kerosene heaters, water purifiers and flashlights. One chain has started selling a "Y2K Readiness Bundle" that includes a generator, a flashlight and a copy of a book titled Surviving the Bug.
Economists say the surge has given a modest lift to manufacturing. "Fear is a very powerful economic stimulus," said one. "It's just not a very renewable one."
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