Carvers still open for business despite fire

Carvers bosses today insisted business was "still going strong" as staff rallied to keep the historic family firm alive following a devastating fire that has destroyed its headquarters.

Staff are handling orders from the company's second site, which is based in Willenhall.

And a director of the 116-year-old builders merchant pledged that the company was "not about to stop now" after its warehouse, offices and shop in Littles Lane were devastated by a blaze on Wednesday.

Around 150 of the company's 200 jobs still hang in the balance after staff were told to go home while managing director Henry Carver awaited assessments by insurers.

But his company's timber service based in Neachells Lane, Willenhall, has become a temporary headquarters and stock that survived the fire will be moved there.

The company opened the nine-acre second site around six years ago. It is close to where Carvers was founded in 1896.

Father-of-two Steve Moore, timber services director, who has worked for Carvers for 29 years, said: "We've been in business over 100 years and we're not about to stop now."

The 46-year-old, from Finchfield, added: "We're still delivering today and we've got 10 lorries out. We have back up stocks and we want to show people we're operating."

On social networking website Twitter the company sent a message saying: "We have limited stocks and are still open for deliveries. Still going strong."

The Neachells Lane site prepares timber for sale but is expected to take over as the main premises for the foreseeable future. It is planned to set up a collection service where customers can come and get their purchases because the shop at Littles Lane also perished in the blaze. Around 10 of the staff who normally work at Little's Lane have moved over to Neachells Lane.

Today, around 10 firefighters remained at Little's Lane damping down the site and keeping watch over the remains of the warehouse – as it emerged that a wood burner in the timber department remained the probable cause of the fire.

But they also warned that "nothing has been officially ruled in or ruled out" of the painstaking investigation. A meeting was taking place at the scene today to discuss when it would be safe for firefighters to close the incident and leave the area.

Head of community safety Steve Vincent said: "We have scaled back operations overnight, with fire crews undertaking a watching brief. We will continue to dampen down today when the visibility improves.

"At the moment, the wood burner remains the main focus of the investigation.

"It is impossible to guess the time frame of the investigation, we have to piece together all of the evidence."

Carvers burned to the ground 48 hours ago. Huge plumes of smoke and 20ft flames could be seen for miles around, as hundreds of students, families in nearby homes, businesses and a school were evacuated.

Boss Henry Carver has already vowed to "regroup and rebuild". The company has been receiving messages of support and offers of help from other firms including Three Pines and William Gough, which have offered the use of office space.

Wolverhampton's MPs have also rallied round to offer support.

Emma Reynolds, MP for Wolverhampton North East, whose constituency includes the Littles Lane site, said: "I've asked Henry Carver if there is anything I can do to help. I think it's a real blow for the city as well as for the business.

Paul Uppal, the Conservative Wolverhampton South West MP, told how he had used Carvers' other premises in Neachells Lane as a campaign headquarters when he was seeking election in 2010.

He said: "I've contacted Henry as a friend as well as an MP and told him if there is anything I can do to help, I will."