CONROE, Texas (Jan. 23)—DuraQuest Inc. has opened the doors to its rebuilt manufacturing facility in Conroe a year after a fire destroyed the company's plant.
The new factory was designed by employees into a much more efficient facility than the old one, according to Charlie Pitts, DuraQuest vice president of sales and marketing. The building spans about 33,000 square feet and features new machinery, a new hydraulic system and a superior layout, he said.
A fire broke out in the firm's incoming power supply box Jan. 8, 2003, and quickly spread to its nearby hydraulic room and rubber storage area. "The hydraulic system was run by highly flammable hydraulic fluid, which only added fuel to the fire," Pitts said, and the building was completely engulfed within minutes.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze but most of the plant and equipment were destroyed. The company has spent a year rebuilding it while outsourcing production of its products to some competitors.