By Kim Breyley,
A devastating fire is a true test to the tenacity and the resiliency of a business. This past March, Mouldings One/Hardwood Flooring Company, Burton Township, experienced just that and rebounded quickly and decisively not missing an order or shorting expectations of their appreciated customers.
Mouldings One is a division of the Hardwood Flooring company and a sister division with Sheoga Hardwoods and Flooring. On the evening of Thursday, March 9, the north building in the three divisional company burned to the ground, cause unknown. “It was a sickening feeling,” says Ray Yoder, manager over the Mouldings One division.
The night of the fire, Ray left work just after 7 p.m. “I noticed a light on next door and chose to leave it,” he recalls, wondering now if he would have noticed something. At about 8:20 p.m., he received a call informing him of the fire. He arrived on scene at about 8:45 p.m. and the north building was engulfed in flames. More than 20 surrounding fire departments lined the streets and filled the complex in response.
“For a while, I watched from my office,” he said, which is in the south building. “After a time, we had to cut the power and relocate up the hill towards the Sheoga facility. Fortunately, the wind was coming from the east so the other corporate buildings were not at risk.
It was in 1958, when Steve Trudick Sr. began this business with a sawmill producing stair treads, and brooms and brushes. Eventually, Sheoga was started offering hardwood flooring and then later came Moldings One offering moldings, crown casings, stair treads and butcher block countertops. Eventually, a new building was erected for Sheoga atop the hill on Burton Windsor Road. “In 2017, Steve Trudick Jr. took over for his late father and the business really began to grow,” recalls Ray. The broom business was sold off allowing for concentration and growth for the wood products.” Ray Yoder, a 33-year veteran with the company, started straight out of school in 1990. “In the beginning, I just did whatever was needed and eventually moved along in experience and seniority to management,” he says.
The building which burned, housed orders ready for shipping of 2,000 plus doors, hundreds of counter tops as well many custom moldings. Fortunately, not many machineries were housed in the building. Lost were a door machine, many hand tools, sanders, and refinishing equipment. The company hasn’t waisted a minute.
“We are working a lot of overtime right now,” says Ray. “We accessed the list of the orders that burned, and, of course, it was priority for us to get those out first.” Companywide, the Mouldings division employs more than 70 and each evening 10 or more have been working up to four hours overtime to fulfil corporate commitments.
“We leased a building in Middlefield behind Ace Hardware,” shares Ray. The 7,000 sq. ft. facility functions as a finishing department temporarily. “We feel fortunate to have found a building so close. We were able to move right in and get set up. It’s a little bit of a hassle but new machinery is on order, and we are in production.”
As far as rebuilding? “It will be bigger and better. We are hoping to add 10,000 sq ft. to the original footprint of the burned building, maybe joining the north and south buildings,” says Ray. Prior to the fire, there were tentative plans being discussed regarding construction of a new facility across the road to accommodate growth plans.
“We really want all to know that we are open for business;” says Ray. “We’ve had a couple hurdles to get over, but we have been able to serve our customers. Is it as easy? No, but very doable. Overall, we are grateful, we really feel fortunate; all the employees have been doing a really good job and are very willing to work overtime to keep our customers happy.”
Best wishes growing forward,Mouldings One!
For more information and to support this local business, visit mouldingsone.com, or their showroom at 13813 Station Road, Middlefield, 44062. Call 216-306-4365.
