APOLLO, PA - The owner of CCF Industries, a manufacturer of custom dovetail wood drawers for the kitchen cabinet and closet industries that sustained a devastating fire Friday morning, told Woodworking Network he plans to resume production as soon as possible. 

Ken Clifton, who founded CCF in 1995, said he is already in the process of finding an existing building to restart manufacturing operations. He also said he has talked to woodworking equipment suppliers to begin the process of ordering machinery.

Clifton said insurance will cover most of his loss of machinery, inventory and other property that totaled more than $1 million.

"We're going to handle this the best we can and get back to business as fast as we can," Clifton said.

Clifton added how fast CCF can resume manufacturing operations will largely depend on how quick the necessary machinery can be delivered and installed. In the interim, he said he will subcontract fulfillment of customer orders to other drawer makers.

CCF personnel will be at the Cabinets & Closets Expo April 10-11 in Somerset, NJ, Clifton said to field questions from current and prospective customers.

Clifton said he believes the fire was caused by mechanical error not human error as reported by local media. He said the fire was started by a spark in the plant's spray department. The spark activated a suppression system that apparently not only failed to extinguish the spark, but may have ignited a fire that quickly spread through the plant.

Many of the company's 30 employees who had already reported to work by 7:00 a.m. fled the burning building. No injuries were reported.