MANAGEMENT OF the Woodfab Timber plant in Aughrim in south Wicklow is expected to decide today on whether the plant can reopen, following a fire yesterday morning.
Almost 70 people are employed directly at the plant, most of whom are on annual leave until next week. A further number of subcontractors, also estimated at about 70, are dependent to varying degrees on the plant.
Gardaí said the cause of the fire, which destroyed one of the timber mills, was as yet unknown. The fire was being treated as suspicious while a technical examination got under way.
The plant is one of the largest employers in the rural south Wicklow area and had been in business since 1974. In 1998, it was bought from then owners the Smurfit group in a management buy-out.
Woodfab Timber produces fencing and decking products for Irish and British markets. It is a major supplier of roadside post and rail fencing and has recently developed acoustic timber fencing for use as sound barriers, particularly on roadsides.
The blaze was brought under control within a few hours of breaking out at about 1.30am yesterday, but it is understood very severe damage was caused.
Firefighters from nearby towns of Rathdrum, Tinahely, Carnew and Arklow battled the fire for several hours after the alarm was raised by a passing taxi driver.
The blaze took more than 10 hours to extinguish completely. The firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to the other plant and offices in the factory compound.
Managing director John Brady said the company would not know how many workers would have to be laid off on a temporary basis until it had carried out an assessment of the damage, “but we will rebuild”.
“I have worked in this business for 40 years, invested too much time and effort into the business, just to walk away.”
Local councillor Jimmy Shaughnessy said the blaze had come as a “huge shock to the people of Aughrim and around”. He said jobs would not be easily found to replace those at Woodfab Timber if the plant were to remain closed.
In addition to the direct employment at the plant and the subcontractors, Mr Shaughnessy said the whole village was dependent on the plant to some extent for knock- on business. “It is terrible for the people of Aughrim and Rathdrum and surrounding areas.”
Arklow councillor Nicky Kelly said south Wicklow and Arklow had suffered a lot of factory closures in the recent past and was now one of the State’s worst blackspots. Apart from Shering-Plough in Rathdrum, Mr Kelly said he could think of no employer of a significant scale in the area.
“Hopefully, although the plant is very severely damaged and this will definitely impact on up to 150 jobs, these jobs would not be completely gone and the plant will reopen as soon as possible.”