Fire Rescue News - SEN. MENENDEZ SPEAKS TO "ROOM FULL OF HEROES" AT FIRE-STRICKEN PLANT
GALLOWAY TWP. -- Exactly eight weeks after a fire partially destroyed a local textile plant, lawmakers visit the site to commend their employees on fighting through their hardships. However, if it weren't for the quick actions of local firefighters, the hardships could have expanded into a national issue.
It was a special day for employees of the Absecon Mills textile plant, as....Continue Reading
Senator Robert Menendez, local lawmakers and fire companies throughout Atlantic County, visited the site after a fire destroyed the company's shipping and receiving area.
"For the people at Absecon Mills, this is more than just a job, this is like a calling," said Sen. Menendez.
"We're a total family, everyone knows everyone's kids and wives and husbands and family and we all know each other and support each other and we're a great group of people," added Karen Kurak, one of the Managers of Absecon Mills.
For Kurak, Sunday's event is a beacon of hope for the company's future, after she watched the building partially burn down, thinking she may have lost her job, "I was here for almost the whole fire. It was heartbreaking watching it burn and thinking oh my gosh, what can we do?"
But her fears were eased, as the company's CEO and President fought through adversity, keeping each employee on payroll without insurance. Randy Taylor and his brother, who was not present Sunday, have paid each employee out of their own pockets, and were honored by the Senator.
"You know what the right thing is to do, you gotta keep your core people, you gotta keep your business going and whatever resources we both had personally, we cashed it in and threw the money to the company to keep it going," said Taylor.
However, The more than 100 employees at Absecon Mills were not just worried about their own livelihoods after the fire, but also for America's troops, as the fabrics made for both the uniforms and for fabrics inside the tankers on the battlefield are made at the company.
"They're not just making bed cloths. They are making equipment that our troops use in Afghanistan and Iraq that make them safer," said Senator Jim Whelan, who reinforced the importance of Absecon Mills, as it's one of the only textile plants in the country that makes cutting-edge ballistic fibers for soldiers and officials at the Pentagon. A main reason that Sen. Menendez secured $2 million bought in Department of Defense appropriations to the company.
"I wanted to make sure we could continue to produce that great product here in New Jersey for Americans and our service people," said Sen. Menendez. "It's one of those times where you can actually enjoy all of the aspects of the story ending up in a good way."
A good way for both America's troops and for the employees of Absecon Mills.
Fire officials added that the cause of the fire remains unknown due to the extent of the damage; however, it's not believed to be suspicious. As for Absecon Mills, Taylor tells NBC 40 that he's still a month or so away from getting the final deposition from insurance. When that happens, the company will start rebuilding.
