HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Officials at the manufacturing company JR Automation are sorting out details and pulling together damage estimates after what a spokeswoman called a “significant fire” at the 13365 Tyler St. in Olive Township location.
“No one was injured at all,” said Lizzie Uhl, company spokeswoman, adding that was “the biggest concern. No one was in building at time of fire and that was a big relief.”
She said the building had been evacuated after a traffic crash outside the building at about 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
“The accident did not involve JR employees, it was just a person driving down the road,” Uhl wrote in an email to WHTC. “Unfortunately, they hit a pole which caused the power in our building to go out. At that time, all employees were safely evacuated. So that is why no employees were in the building when the fire began.”
Now, she said, fire officials are identifying the cause of the fire and company officials are documenting damage.
The building primarily fabricated and machined custom parts, Uhl said, and there were a number of CNC machines in the building.
She indicated a maintenance worker discovered the fire “from a distance,” and called 911.
Typically — and these are pre-pandemic numbers — about 100 people work at that location, but because of the pandemic, some are on a work-from-home plan. Those who were working in the building are talking to their supervisors about next steps.
Uhl said the building is a primarily facility for the company, but not the only one. JR Automation has locations in Holland and Stevensville, and the damaged building is not a headquarters.
She said company officials were contacting customers to let them know how the supply chain is affected by the fire.
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