06.15.16
Texas-based Century Industrial Coatings received the “no further remedial action” notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in April — less than eight months after the catastrophic fire that leveled its production facility. The TCEQ agency closed the environmental incident number and went on to say that they appreciated the assistance and cooperation in the matter as well as Century’s compliance efforts to ensure the protection of the state’s environment.
On Aug. 12, 2015, Century Industrial Coatings experienced the previously mentioned catastrophic fire. The fire took place after working hours so there were no employees on-site, and no personnel injuries occurred. However, the paint company’s production facility burned to the ground and halted all production. During this time, Century’s team members worked to get production back up and running. An event like this is often unrecoverable, which affects employees, families, community, and customers. Century’s leadership worked to find a strategy that avoided those problems.
Within one week, the company implemented its back-up manufacturing plan and began production in Grand Prairie, TX. Less than ten days after the fire, the first paint order left Texas on a truck headed to New York. The key to this turnaround was having a back-up facility for production, a production team that was willing and capable of producing in a new location on such short notice, and a very organized administrative staff.
Meanwhile, the clean-up and re-build process began in Jacksonville, TX. The property and surrounding areas were cleaned, and the building of a new production facility was started. Century worked closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) during this process to ensure clean-up was properly executed. The team used this re-build as an opportunity to plan a production facility that is even safer and more efficient than the last, which included an open floor plan and enclosed bulk raw material storage. In January of 2016, just five months after the fire, production resumed in Jacksonville, TX. The company maintained virtually all existing customers after the event and even had a record first quarter for 2016. In addition to increased sales, Century Industrial Coatings has been expanding by hiring for new and existing positions.
President of Century Industrial Coatings, Dean Harvey, said: “Wow! What an event. In my 35 years in the industry, I have never experienced such a challenge. We wanted to do right by our company, employees, community, and customers. I am most proud of our employees and the work they accomplished in such a difficult time. Not once did they lose sight of our highest priority – our customers and community. It was also very moving to hear from so many who wanted to help, as well as from supportive customers. Those kind words offered so much strength. I would not want to go through this again, but I can say that Century has learned a lot from it. We have never been stronger. This year we are celebrating many victories – a record year so far and 50 years in business!”
With 50 years in business, Century Industrial Coatings is a custom paint manufacturer that focuses on corrosion protection and beautification in many industries both nationally and internationally. Century is an industry leader in waterborne, low VOC coatings, as well as solvent-based high-performance coatings. With a technical staff that is highly respected in the industry and a management team that understands one customer’s needs are seldom the same as the next, Century has achieved unparalleled agility in developing new products. Recognized by the Texas Environment Excellence Award, Century Industrial Coatings puts a priority on sustainability and innovation.
On Aug. 12, 2015, Century Industrial Coatings experienced the previously mentioned catastrophic fire. The fire took place after working hours so there were no employees on-site, and no personnel injuries occurred. However, the paint company’s production facility burned to the ground and halted all production. During this time, Century’s team members worked to get production back up and running. An event like this is often unrecoverable, which affects employees, families, community, and customers. Century’s leadership worked to find a strategy that avoided those problems.
Within one week, the company implemented its back-up manufacturing plan and began production in Grand Prairie, TX. Less than ten days after the fire, the first paint order left Texas on a truck headed to New York. The key to this turnaround was having a back-up facility for production, a production team that was willing and capable of producing in a new location on such short notice, and a very organized administrative staff.
Meanwhile, the clean-up and re-build process began in Jacksonville, TX. The property and surrounding areas were cleaned, and the building of a new production facility was started. Century worked closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) during this process to ensure clean-up was properly executed. The team used this re-build as an opportunity to plan a production facility that is even safer and more efficient than the last, which included an open floor plan and enclosed bulk raw material storage. In January of 2016, just five months after the fire, production resumed in Jacksonville, TX. The company maintained virtually all existing customers after the event and even had a record first quarter for 2016. In addition to increased sales, Century Industrial Coatings has been expanding by hiring for new and existing positions.
President of Century Industrial Coatings, Dean Harvey, said: “Wow! What an event. In my 35 years in the industry, I have never experienced such a challenge. We wanted to do right by our company, employees, community, and customers. I am most proud of our employees and the work they accomplished in such a difficult time. Not once did they lose sight of our highest priority – our customers and community. It was also very moving to hear from so many who wanted to help, as well as from supportive customers. Those kind words offered so much strength. I would not want to go through this again, but I can say that Century has learned a lot from it. We have never been stronger. This year we are celebrating many victories – a record year so far and 50 years in business!”
With 50 years in business, Century Industrial Coatings is a custom paint manufacturer that focuses on corrosion protection and beautification in many industries both nationally and internationally. Century is an industry leader in waterborne, low VOC coatings, as well as solvent-based high-performance coatings. With a technical staff that is highly respected in the industry and a management team that understands one customer’s needs are seldom the same as the next, Century has achieved unparalleled agility in developing new products. Recognized by the Texas Environment Excellence Award, Century Industrial Coatings puts a priority on sustainability and innovation.
