Fire-ravaged Coolkit back in the driving seat
UK: Burnley-based temperature-controlled van specialist CoolKit is back operating only days after a devastating blaze that destroyed one of its two manufacturing units on July 6.
Production and operations have successfully been relocated to its second unit on the same industrial estate as the effected unit.
While the company has acted quickly to enable the business to remain operational in the immediate aftermath of the fire, it is looking for a temporary premises nearby. It expects ‘business as usual’ will resume by the end of September.
Work this week focused on completing orders that were in progress within the workshop. Once this work is finished production will move on to addressing the order book.
“We acted quickly over the weekend to put in place a robust and staged recovery plan which means that the business has been able to remain operational,” said managing director Daniel Miller. “The company has in place comprehensive insurance and we will use this to ensure we get back to full production as soon as possible.”
Founder and chief executive Rupert Gatty confirmed that it was looking for temporary premises nearby. “The business is looking for 30,000 to 60,000ft2, ideally with significant parking for our workforce of approximately 100 staff and with several acres of adjacent land for parking our stock of vans securely, and a 3-phase mains supply.
“Thanks to a robust response from our employees, contractors and leadership team here at CoolKit we have been able to remain operational throughout this period, but early occupation of additional premises will help to ensure we are able to fulfil our full order book and continue on our growth trajectory.”
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