MARION, VA. — Two buildings housing recycled plastics were destroyed by separate fires on Aug. 20.
The companies involved were Plastic Recovery Industries, a Phoenix recycler, and Marley Mouldings Inc., a profile extruder based in Marion.
A fire of undetermined origin destroyed a 30,000-square-foot warehouse at Marley Mouldings in Atkins, Va., that contained more than 1 million pounds of recycled PVC and polystyrene and finished goods.
About 500 residents had to be evacuated due to heavy smoke, according to the company. The spokesman said no one was harmed, but according to news reports some firefighters and one local woman were treated and released at a local hospital.
A company spokesman said the leased building held about $500,000 worth of product.
Operations at the firm's main manufacturing facilities in Marion, just one-half mile from the Atkins warehouse, will resume after Aug. 22, the spokesman said. The firm also has a plant in Waco, Texas.
Marley, which extrudes picture frames and window and door components, has sales of about $100 million.
The fire at Plastic Recovery Industries started at about 6 p.m. Aug. 20, according to an article in the Arizona Republic.
The family-owned business did not have fire insurance, according to the report, which said that about 100,000 tons of plastic products were destroyed in the 15,000 square foot facility.
Fire and company officials were unavailable to comment.