After the fire: Green View rebuilding
By Pat Shaver, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The
The company started construction of its new office and warehouse two weeks ago. The 7,000 square foot space is expected be finished by
"I got a phone call at
The fire also destroyed much of the equipment inside. None of Green View's 35 employees were injured by the blaze.
The fire caused about
The week after the fire, Hoerr said they had to purchase about
"Every time you turn around, you assume something was lost in the fire because you can't find it," Hoerr said.
Pruning equipment, chainsaws, mowers, shovels and irrigation fitters were among the equipment and tools lost in the fire. Trucks and large equipment were not damaged because they were stored outside.
The business was down for about one week after the fire. They were able to quickly move into a temporary office in a building nearby at
"There is no such thing as a routine. Your daily routine is out the window," said
"I've been here since 1982; it has been my home," Southey said, standing at the site as construction was taking place Tuesday.
The company's electronic files were saved, and about 80 percent of the paper files were recovered, Hoerr said. All of Green View's projects that were scheduled were completed despite the fire. Some business was lost, though, because employees were focused on recovering from the fire, he said.
"Because everybody was busy doing things related to the fire we lost some time we could have spent selling," Hoerr said.
It can be difficult to prepare for lightning to strike a business, but there are things owners can do to lessen the loss, he said.
Keeping an updated inventory of equipment is important for businesses in the event of a disaster. Spreading out where important equipment is stored can also help save more during a disaster, he said.
Hoerr said the process to start the new building took longer than expected because they discovered asbestos that had to be mitigated before it could be demolished.
The new building includes two separate parts, the office and the warehouse, that will be linked together. The new structures will be about the same size as the previous office and warehouse.
"There was never any question whether we would rebuild," Hoerr said. "The biggest lesson I've learned is to make sure you have a disaster plan of some sort."
Green View's building was originally constructed in 1977. The company is based in
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