Fire crews had a crane late last week remove the roof to sift through the debris left by the fire.
Several fire crews were called just before 8:20 p.m. March 28 to the facility.
The company manufactures and repairs circuit breakers and switchgear, and offers 24-hour maintenance. Fire caused $1.5 million in damages to the three buildings, completely destroying a breezeway that connected to main office with a manufacturing facility in the rear and a smaller storage building.
There was smoke damage throughout the building, Hess said. About $1 million of the building’s contents were destroyed.
Jim Caplinger, one of the company’s three owners, could not immediately be reached for comment on the cause.
Last week, Caplinger said the fire destroyed most of the company’s equipment, including sand blasters, solvent cleaners and a paint booth. Important documents and computer servers were intact, he said.
Caplinger said the company will either rebuild at the Tytus Avenue facility or build a new, larger facility. Currently the company, which as 35 employees, has temporarily set up shop off Ohio 63 near Salzman Road in Monroe. Caplinger said the company wants to stay in Middletown.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or michael.pitman@coxinc.com. Follow at
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