Two buildings and raw materials were destroyed in a fire at the Dixie Poly Drum Corp. in Yemassee, S.C., but company officials hope to restart production on a limited basis soon.
The fire was well involved when emergency responders arrived on the scene at 11 p.m. on Nov. 22, and firefighters from five departments responded to help battle the blaze, according to local reports. No injuries were reported.
“Two two-story buildings were heavily damaged in the fire,” according to a statement from Colleton County Fire Department, which helped respond to the fire.
Pete Hamaker, owner and CEO of the rotational molder could not be reached for comment, but told WTOC-11 News that while buildings, equipment and material were destroyed by the fire, the company's molds were salvaged.
WSAV-TV reported that workers from the facility were helping clean up the site, which is about 60 miles southwest of Charleston, S.C.
“We are going to be running production on a limited basis, until we can get new equipment, new buildings,” Hamaker told the news station.
He said the company plans to run shifts around the clock to catch up on orders.
The Dixie Poly Drum Facebook page had several well-wishes from those in the community and the company was posting updates of news stories along with pictures at the site. Among the pictures included nearly 40 workers standing in front of a damaged building.
The company also posted a message, saying they “would like to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. And a big thank you to all the fire personnel for their services!”
The company had estimated sales of $5 million in 2012, putting the company as the 68th largest rotational molder in Plastics News' annual report published earlier this year. The company makes a variety of products including drums, tote boxes, recycling containers, guard rails, step stools and big plastic barriers, among other items.