Carvers in vow to rebuild

Henry Carver today vowed to "regroup and rebuild" his 116-year-old family business after the landmark warehouse burned to the ground.

Carvers Building Supplies, one of Wolverhampton's biggest and most successful firms, was destroyed by a devastating fire yesterday.

Mr Carver and his team of executives are now working around the clock to rebuild the company. It employs 150 people at the main warehouse in Little's Lane, Wolverhampton, who are now waiting to find out what their future holds.

See also:

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• Fire at Carvers in Wolverhampton – video footage

• Henry Carver reveals his devastation – video

• Pictures of the huge blaze at Carvers

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Thirty firefighters remained at the scene of the inferno today, extinguishing hotspots and making the area safe.

But despite the inferno wrecking his business, Mr Carver told the Express & Star: "We will regroup, we will rebuild.

"We're certainly going to give it our best try. After 116 years we're not about to give up.

"The company is well financed, we're not in debt. We've always paid our bills on time.

"We have to wait to see what happens with the loss adjusters."

He said 90 per cent of stock had been destroyed, and 80 per cent of trade had been lost. Mr Carver continued: "Today is really about negotiation with the insurers to sort out how we can do something to start again.

"Just two weeks earlier we had put a new roof on the Wolverhampton warehouse. Business at Neachells is carrying on as normal. We have a back-up of computer records there. But everything else was over here."

The fire broke out at 11.40am yesterday, with the flames and smoke spreading rapidly. Around 90 firefighters worked to stop the flames spreading 30 yards to where liquid petroleum gas tanks are stored at the site.

Mr Carver, whose company sponsors the annual Wolverhampton marathon, has transferred operations to his timber engineering premises in Neachells Lane. Most staff have been told to stay at home today with only the bosses in to arrange insurance payments. Mr Carver's 49-year-old cousin David is a director of the firm.

Together they are the fifth generation of the the Carver family to run the company since it was started by Harry Carver with help from his brother Horace in 1896.

The cause of the fire was today still unknown. Flames leaped 20ft into the air and the smoke could be seen for miles around.

There were explosions heard at 12.30pm as the roof of the warehouse collapsed and small gas canisters blew up. A 660ft cordon was set up and trains were forced to move away from Wolverhampton. Around 700 students were evacuated from the high-rise student village Victoria Halls and children left Woden Primary School. The Maltings Mobility Centre was also evacuated.

At its height West Midlands Fire Service had 90 firefighters at the scene tackling the blaze and trying to prevent it spreading.

Two hydraulic platforms were also used to douse the flames from above as the building was too dangerous to enter.

Relief crews took over from firefighters last night with more than 50 firefighters still at the scene throughout the night.

Any members of the public who feel ill effects from the smoke, following the fire, have been advised to call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Wolverhampton City Council leader Roger Lawrence today pledged to support Mr Carver and his business by offering the council's help to find temporary premises and storage.