Mainetti fire: factory reopens at temporary site days after fire

Just 10 days after a massive fire broke out at its Flintshire factory a coat hanger company has restarted production at a site 15 miles away.

Mainetti, whose premises in Greenfield, Flintshire, suffered major damage in the blaze on 24 May, have begun operating at the former Hotpoint factory at Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire.

The company recycles coat hangers in north Wales.

The relocation, with workers being coached in, could last six months.

A week last Friday a small fire quickly grew into an inferno at the Greenfield site, spreading inside the building.

Eighty firefighters tackled the blaze which led to major tailbacks as roads were closed and part of the Holyhead to Chester rail service was disrupted.

But now the former washing machine plant in Bodelwyddan has been transformed into a busy production line with full output due to be restored by the end of this week.

"We are keen to get back up and running as quickly as possible," said managing director Jim Hutchison.

Smoke rising from the recent factory blaze at Greenfield near Holywell, Flintshire

"Today, on the production side, there's about 106 and in the warehouse there's another 20."

He said the company had been employing about 230 staff in total at their rented premises in Greenfield.

"We plan to get back to that number by Wednesday or Thursday," said Mr Hutchison.

The company has taken on the former Hotpoint factory site on a six-month lease

"We have a bit of time now to look for a more permanent site," he added.

The new premises were set up over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"We have 18 production lines today and the intention is to get that up to 30 by Thursday," Mr Hutchison said.

The company processes up to six million hangers a week and is considering taking on temporary staff to help it cope without its automated conveyor belts.