United States (Pennsylvania) - EMS Surgical Equipment co-owner Troy Stuck said Saturday's devastating fire is a set-back for the 28-year-old business, but plans are already being made to put the 10 employees back to work. Nothing puts us down, he said Monday, just days after a Saturday morning fire tore through the sewing factory at 5 Buchanan Ave. in Hummels Wharf where the company designs and produces compression and post-operation surgical garments for physicians throughout the country, England, Australia and Egypt.

A motorist spotted the flames at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday and called Snyder County Emergency Services.

Hummels Wharf Deputy Fire Chief John Grove said firefighters from Hummels Wharf, Shamokin Dam and Selinsgrove with assistance from Kreamer and Freeburg Fire departments arrived to find the building heavily engulfed in fire.

Grove said the fire originated near the furnace and water heater.

Stuck said his mother, Edna, who started the business in 1985, estimated their financial loss at about $500,000.

Completely damaged in the blaze were 15 sewing machines and an undisclosed amount of inventory.

"Everything is a total loss," Stuck said.

The adjacent office building was untouched by the fire.

The Stucks plan to work hard to keep up with orders and maintain the business. They'd already ordered new sewing machines and expect half to arrive before the end of this week.

They're setting up a temporary sewing factory in a barn on the site and will ask permission to rebuild from the Monroe Township Board of Supervisors.

"We're going to keep going. My mom wants to keep these people who have worked for us many years," Stuck said.

Written by The Daily Item

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