A fire erupted at Axel Americas LLCs manufacturing facility in Rosedale, Miss., on Feb. 29, damaging recently installed process equipment.
The company suspended production and delivery of new material, which was expected to last at least 10 working days, and said it is currently targeting to start partial production mid-week. Axel noted it made several dispatches of finished goods from the sites warehouse last week, the day after the fire.
Axel issued a statement saying local officials are investigating the cause. The fire was controlled and extinguished in approximately one hour, and a contractor for the company was treated for minor blisters due to the spray of hot oil. The cost of the damage is still being determined.
Tom Schroeder, president of Axel Americas, told Lube Report that the electrical controls of the new production equipment and some pumps sustained the most damage, with less damage to controls of existing production equipment.
Schroeder added that the plant resumed some grease making, and that power to the existing production line should be completely restored by the end of this workweek.
Insurance companies and building contractors are now fully engaged and working with Axel Americas to minimize the disruption to our business, Axel said in its statement. We will of course continue to do everything to resume normal operations as quickly as possible, including operating seven days week, in order to get back online and catch up with lost time to provide all customers with the normal level of service.
The company last month announced completion of two production lines to make calcium sulfonate and polyurea greases. Equipment installed for the expansion was not involved in the fire.
Axel Americas LLC is part of Nol, Sweden-based Axel Christiernsson, which has grease plants in Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United States. The company manufactures industrial and automotive lubricating grease for numerous applications.