After a large fire tore through a cabinet supplier in New Lenox Thursday, destroying a business that had been in the village for nearly 60 years, Mayor Tim Baldermann said the village will help the owners rebuild.
Baldermann said Monday the fire was a devastating hit for the third generation, family-owned business, Tri-Star Cabinet & Top Company, which has been a fixture in the community for three generations.
“They’re a wonderful family. They run a great business with a great reputation,” he said. “It’s devastating to see that happen to that store and and all of their hard working employees.”
The fire destroyed most of the cabinet company’s warehouse and factory, leaving just the office spaces in the front. On Monday, piles of burned metal and debris remain at the site where the factory once stood, but the front of the store with the company sign appears intact.
The cabinet company’s president, Joe Wilda Jr. did not return calls or messages from the Southtown Monday.
In a post on Tri-Star Cabinet & Top Company’s Facebook, which is owned by the Wilda family, the owners said they plan to rebuild, and “come back stronger.”
“Tri-Star Cabinets faced a challenging situation as a fire broke out in our building,” the post reads. “Thanks to the quick actions of our dedicated employees, everyone was safely evacuated.”
The facility houses the 85,000-square-foot factory and warehouse with a two-story showroom, according to the company’s website. The cabinet company was founded in 1966 in Joliet, and moved three years later to New Lenox, where it employs about 70 people.
Baldermann said when the time comes, village leaders will help the owners rebuild.
“We’re going to do everything we can to to help them through the process of rebuilding,” he said. “They’re a great family and a great business.”
The New Lenox Fire Protection District received a call for the structure fire just before 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17 at the cabinet company in the 1000 block of South Cedar Road, officials said in a news release.
The blaze sent thick, black smoke into the air, prompting fire officials to monitor air quality levels with the help of the Environment Protection Agency while crews worked to extinguish the flames, according to the release.
At the height of the blaze, officials said more than 20 agencies and about 200 firefighters were involved in battling the fire, both on-site and handling emergency calls that came in throughout the day.
A spokesperson for the New Lenox fire district, Marisa Tomich, said the air quality remained at safe levels throughout Thursday and Friday.
The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal is leading the ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire, Tomich said.
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