BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — Quality Bicycle Products stopped shipping from its Minnesota distribution center following a fire Jan. 16 in a trash compactor connected to the building. No one was injured in the fire, but inventory and shipping materials were exposed to smoke.
"This was a serious situation that fortunately didn't have tragic consequences," said Rich Tauer, the president of QBP. "Nobody was injured. Our office spaces are now fully cleaned and functional, and our office personnel are working as usual in those areas. Finally, we want to acknowledge our retail and supplier partners, who have been tremendously gracious in their patience as we get back up to full speed, even though this situation has been a disruption for them. We truly appreciate the support we've gotten from all of our partners."
Since the fire was outside the building, the sprinkler system was not activated and there was no water damage.
QBP's distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Denver and Reno are shipping as usual, as are distribution centers in Vancouver and Toronto.
The entire QBP facility in Minnesota has been undergoing round-the-clock air and surface cleaning by a professional smoke remediation company since last Thursday. QBP expects to restore the ordering and shipping of the majority of its products at the facility sometime during the week beginning Jan. 27.
