This week, FBN Sales – and our industry-leading cap chucks – were mentioned in MiBiz, an online news source for West Michigan businesses. Detailing the history of our company, the piece focused on the aftermath of the devastating fire that caused nearly $3 million in damage to our facilities. While many manufacturers would have experienced such an event, looked at what remained, and packed it up, FBN Sales regrouped and rebuilt.
Loss of filling valves, cap chucks, and more
Occurring in September of 2014, the fire destroyed our inventory. Unfortunately, this included all of our stock of filling valves, capper clutches, and cap chucks. Even worse, the fire destroyed the building itself, putting into complete disrepair. In the middle of a big project for an automaker, our team didn’t have time to grieve. Instead, we had to get to work. Doubling our line of credit, we purchased new machines, leased a new facility, and started planning.
How we operate now vs. then
Now, nearly two and a half years later, we have completely regrouped. Looking back, we view the fire as a transformative event. An event that drove us back to our core business and, ultimately, set us up for the success that we are experiencing today. Our new building, erected on the site of the fire, is 22,500 square feet! And, it has also been outfitted with the latest equipment. Now staffed by the industry’s most knowledgeable team of bottling equipment experts, we couldn’t ask for a better turnaround. All told, Jim Turley – the owner of FBN Sales – said it best, “There really wasn’t any thought to just taking the money. It was always the thought to rebuild.”
At FBN Sales, we’re proud of our history. From the ashes of tragedy, we rebuilt ourselves, refocusing on what we were good at. So, we continue manufacturing the industry’s best cap chucks and bottling equipment replacement parts. If you’d like to learn more about our history, we encourage you to read the full story on MiBiz.
