Coatings Company Bounces Back After Devastating Fire
JACKSONVILLE, TX — Texas-based Century Industrial Coatings received the “No Further Remedial Action” notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in April, less than eight months after a catastrophic fire leveled the company’s production facility. The TCEQ agency closed the environmental incident number and went on to say that it appreciated the assistance and cooperation in the matter as well as Century’s compliance efforts to ensure protection of the state’s environment.
On August 12, 2015, Century Industrial Coatings experienced the fire, which took place after working hours so there were no employees on site, and no personnel injuries occurred. However, the paint company’s production facility burned to the ground and halted all production. During this time, Century’s team members worked to get production back up and running.
Within one week, the company implemented its back-up manufacturing plan and began production in Grand Prairie, TX. Less than 10 days after the fire, the first paint order left Texas on a truck headed to New York. The key to this turnaround was having a back-up facility for production, a production team that was willing and capable of producing in a new location on such short notice, and a very organized administrative staff.
Meanwhile, the cleanup and re-build process began in Jacksonville, TX. The property and surrounding areas were cleaned, and the building of a new production facility began. Century worked closely with the TCEQ during this process to ensure cleanup was properly executed. The team used this re-build as an opportunity to plan a production facility that is even safer and more efficient than the last, which included an open floor plan and enclosed bulk raw material storage. In January of 2016, just five months after the fire, production resumed in Jacksonville, TX. The company maintained virtually all existing customers after the event and even had a record first quarter for 2016. In addition to increased sales, Century Industrial Coatings has been expanding by hiring for new and existing positions.
President of Century Industrial Coatings Dean Harvey said, “Wow! What an event. In my 35 years in the industry, I have never experienced such a challenge. We wanted to do right by our company, employees, community and customers. I am most proud of our employees and the work they accomplished in such a difficult time. Not once did they lose sight of our highest priority: our customers and community. It was also very moving to hear from so many who wanted to help, as well as from supportive customers. Those kind words offered so much strength. I would not want to go through this again, but I can say that Century has learned a lot from it. We have never been stronger. This year we are celebrating many victories — a record year so far and 50 years in business!”
Century Industrial Coatings is a custom paint manufacturer that focuses on corrosion protection and beautification in many industries both nationally and internationally.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
