Brett Oakley said he plans to rebuild his company, and said he will do anything necessary to get going again.
"When you deal with a disaster like this, deal with people around you, you have to be a leader and dig in no matter what it is," Oakley said.
So far, a fence has been put up around the charred remains of Marflex Waterproofing and Basement products.
As the fire slowly burns out, Oakley said he is already making calls on new places that he can temporarily use to house his business.
"Marflex will be up and shipping products as of next Monday. So, we're not missing a heartbeat," Oakley said.
Oakley is still in disbelief after getting a phone call in the middle of the night indicating that his dream business was on fire.
"It's pretty sad. The first hour when you get here knowing that everything you work for and everything you stand for can be torn down," Oakley said.
Oakley built the warehouse in 2001 to house the products that his company distributes around the country. For 27 years before that, Oakley fought fires with the Madison Township Fire Department. So, it was a cruel twist of fate on Tuesday morning when he could only stand and watch as his friends tried to save his business.
"When you roll up and you're used to being in a uniform and doing your job, I couldn't do that yesterday," Oakley said.
The owner said he wants to make sure that his 100 or so employees keep the business going, even in the face of ruin. Oakley said the most important thing is what was not lost in the fire, human life.
The state fire marshal's office continue to investigate the cause of the fire. Damage to the structure is estimated at $2.5 million.