Fibreglass firm soon forgot about fire

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 29

Fibreglass firm soon forgot about fire

When the premises of Marlborough Fibreglass Ltd were devastated by fire in January, the company’s immediate future looked grim. In less than two minutes the fire spread through the company’s entire production area, destroying thousands of dollars worth of machinery and glass fibre moulds. It seemed as if the company would never be able to fulfil a number of contracts to supply its glass fibre products to several large international companies. However, in less than a month. Marlborough Fibreglass had reached 70 per cent production, and had completed a large contract, supplying glass fibre evaporator housings for freezing containers. Marlborough Fibreglass also supplies boat hulls for Hamilton jet boats, and the company was able to satisfy all orders in spite of the fire. All of the valuable moulds which were destroyed in the fire have now been replaced, and reconstruction of the factory itself is well under way. Altogether, the company turns out several hundred boat hulls a year, and since the fire, a number of large hulls have also been manufactured. The company’s factory manager, Mr R. HMcLatchie. said a 38ft hull which had recently been developed, had been found ideal for use in the fishing industry — and fishing interests had already bought five of them.

A 42ft planing hull had also been bought from the company for use as a ferry in the Tokelau Islands. Marlborough Fibreglass’s executive director, Mr G. H. Robinson, said the company is about to start production on a boat which ws designed in England. “It is known as a ‘mini tonner.’ It is more or less a downward progression from the one tonners, to half tonners and quarter tonners. This boat is about an eighth of a ton, as has been found an ideal economy-type cruiser, and quite within the financial range of many aspiring boatids.” However, Mr Robinson said the company would be involved in more negotiations before production of the “mini tonners” could start. The company also turns out a large range of its' own boats, however, since the fire these have been largely neglected so out-j standing orders and con-1 tracts can be cleared. “It hasn’t been a complete waste of time as far as our own boats are concerned though,” said Mr. Robinson. “While we I haven’t actually been producing any, we have designed several new models.” Mr Robinson said the company was also about to start production on a cabin boat hull for a Christchurch firm. At the moment, Marlborough Fibreglass is still managing to maintain a high degree of production, in spite of the fact that reconstruction work is going on all around. W’hen the new factory is complete * it will in-

corporate a large number of fire precautions. One of the most likely causes of fire in a glass fibre factory is an accummulation of dust, or other highly volatile materials. In the design of the new factory, the company has tried as far as possible to eliminate places where such materials could gather. Particular attention is also being paid to ventilation and heating units. Once the reconstruction is complete, and full production can resume properly, Marlborough Fibreglass, Ltd, expects to be one of the largest manufacturers of glass fibre products in the Southern Hemisphere.