A July 8 fire caused $300,000 in damage at injection molder Maca Plastics Inc., but the company has worked quickly to minimize interruptions to its assembly and shipping schedule.
The cause of the fire at the Winchester, Ohio, facility is under investigation. It began in the bathroom section of Maca's 10,500-square-foot assembly and shipping plant. The company's manufacturing facility, which houses 13 injection molding machines, was untouched.
By that same evening, Maca officials and their 10-member response team could go inside the building, which suffered 10 percent damage.
``We brought in the response team and laid out a plan to attack it the next morning,'' President Greg Purvis said in a July 17 telephone interview.
The response team acted quickly to remove six assembly lines and reassemble them in a 2,500-square-foot temporary facility supplied by Adams County Manufacturers Council and Southern State Community College. Due to the careful work of the 40-member local volunteer fire department, the lines were not touched by water, Purvis said. By 10 p.m. the company was shipping product to customers.
``Water damage would have been the most likely thing to happen,'' he said. ``They came in, made sure no water got on the equipment and contained the fire to the restroom area.''
In an e-mail, owner Andrew Culbertson called the work an ``incredible act of recovery'' on behalf of the nearly 100 employees. One second-shift supervisor worked a 21-hour day.
Maca's customers primarily are suppliers to the automotive industry, such as Stanley Electric U.S. Inc., based in London, Ohio. Maca also makes electronic switch parts for other industries.
``We had shipment delays but no manufacturing downtime,'' said Angela France, a buyer for Stanley, who visited Maca shortly after the fire. ``Considering the amount of damage, we started receiving shipments on Tuesday, and we were caught up by Thursday. They set up everything in the temporary facility, and it looks like they had been operational for months.''
Timing is essential for Maca, which adheres to a just-in-time shipping schedule, Purvis said.
Maca, with 2000 sales of $10 million, will remain in the temporary facility for two months until the damaged facility is reconstructed. The company borders the Adams County Airport, where county officials have permitted them to use a hangar for parts storage.
``We're going to have to be a little lean right now because of space,'' Purvis said.
