Teknor Apex hit by blaze at UK plant

Oldbury, UK – The Teknor Apex plant in Oldbury in West Midlands was hit by a major fire that broke out in the warehouse area of the site on 29 April.

Up to 75 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze which started in the afternoon. Plumes of smoke were visible for miles around from the polymer manufacturing site on Tat Bank Road.

West Midlands Fire Service reported that 13 fire engines; 2 brigade response vehicles; 2 hydraulic aerial platforms and a high volume pumping unit were involved in the operation.

In a statement issued the following day, Teknor Apex said that no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

“Our first priority was ensuring all our employees were safe," said company president Bill Murray, adding that the fire has been contained and there are no known injuries to first responders or the 31 employees on site.

Teknor Apex said it was setting up a temporary local business office and had a team of people will be on site to evaluate the impact of the fire.

"At this time they [staff] are unable to enter the building due to safety concerns.  The company is working with local authorities to investigate any environmental impact at the site and the surrounding area," its statement added.

The company was also in communication with customers and suppliers, and was sourcing materials from other Teknor plants around the world to ensure that customer orders are fulfilled.

The Teknor Apex plant operates a twin-screw extrusion line for the production of thermoplastic elastomers sold under the Monprene and Medalist trade names.

The company recently announced plans to add a second TPE production line at Oldbury by the end of 2015 to meet growing demand.

(Image source: West Midlands Fire Service)