joe_padavano

Apparently a total loss. They were certainly one of the top plating companies around.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/cr...vanced-plating

Olds64

Bummer, hopefully they can get back up and running before too long.

jaunty75

A pipe dream, I think.

Even if they did decide to rebuild, it would likely be a year before they're back in business. But my guess is that this business is finished for good. How many times did the article mention that the building stored hazardous chemicals? They don't mention, but I'm sure will be investigated, is HOW were those chemicals stored, and were they in compliance with regulations. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that, with the building as old as it was (66 years), and the business being there for as long as it was (33 years), there were many current regulations that were not being followed for one reason or another, perhaps simply because they were grandfathered in and didn't have to comply with some of the newer regulations, or didn't have to comply with them to the letter. I don't know. But I would also guess that the cost of building a new facility that would be in compliance with current EPA and other regulations would be prohibitive and likely well beyond whatever insurance coverage they had would provide.

Hasn't it been true that more and more chrome-plating and such-type businesses have been going out of business in recent years than have been entering the business precisely because of the cost of following regulations?

joe_padavano

It's kind of hard to run a plating shop WITHOUT "hazardous chemicals". I read that more as uninformed alarmist reporting than anything else, but yes, I suspect there was grandfathering that will be reconsidered as part of a rebuild.

jaunty75

I didn't say they should have or could have run the business without hazardous chemicals. Lots of businesses use hazardous chemicals. What I'm saying is that the presence of hazardous chemicals and how they were stored and used will be thoroughly investigated, and it may, because of the age of the building and the length of time the business had been located there, come out that not all current regulations were followed. The article mentions that the fire department had to restrict water usage on the fire "to reduce runoff." That's not good. Is that the norm? Shouldn't hazardous chemicals be stored in such a way that, if they're not actually on fire themselves, their presence doesn't hinder the fighting of a fire elsewhere on the site? Were the chemicals stored properly? Just thinking out loud about this.

RROLDSX

don71

Is this not the same company that got flooded a few years back? regardless, its quite the kick in the pants.

Ancient Iron

And don't forget the wonderful people at the EPA .I'm sure they would love to see another chrome plating shop disappear.

jaunty75

Are you referring to this? From June 2017.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/new...nty/369772001/

442Harv

Years ago I had my bumpers at a local shop. I live in No cal, and no chrome plating shops are allowed I bay area, they send them to their shop in LA. They had a complete fire loss. I was lucky, mine were shipped the day before, so, finely got mine back. They told me they had to replace many bumpers, lucky most were not old ones like mine, and were able to find replacement. I was lucky.

Lsx442

Kennybill

There was a large bumper stamping/chroming plant locally for decades. Rockwell plant in Newton Falls, OH. They made bumpers for all the car companies. They closed the plant around 1979. I've always listened to local talk radio and because of all the large steel mills and heavy manufacturing the topic use to be the EPA. For a couple of decades a chemical salesman use to call in and talk about all the regulations. That Rockwell plant was one of his large customers. He said the production moved to Tennessee for a few years then to Texas. Each time the nitpicking of the EPA caused the moves. Finally they moved to Mexico, zero regulations, he said they dumped the waste right in the river. He said he was still selling them the same chemicals. I haven't heard him on the radio for 15 years, hopefully the chemicals didn't catch up to him.

marty59

Too early to know, but I'd hope for some sort of recovery. I've been wanting to make a trip there with a batch. They are the best!