Customer: TH Sutcliffe

Location: Newport, Wales

Requirement: When a major fire at the premises of meat processing firm TH Sutcliffe in Newport destroyed the firm's offices, canteen, staff changing areas and toilets, the company's managing director was determined to get the business up and running again as quickly as possible.

He contacted insurers Aspen Global (a provider of speciality insurance and reinsurance products) immediately after the fire on a Wednesday afternoon, and loss adjusters Cunningham Lindsey were on the scene that evening. It was clear from the devastation that temporary office accommodation and, crucially for a food processing business, staff washing and changing areas were needed if the business was to resume production.

On Thursday morning, Cunningham Lindsey contacted Portakabin - its preferred modular building supplier - and the company's Cardiff Hire Centre staff visited the site that day. In conjunction with Cunningham Lindsey, the team assessed the firm's requirements, and set about putting a solution in place in the confined space available behind the burnt-out building.

Solution: During the course of Friday and Saturday, Portakabin installed a single-storey office building and a two-storey building housing a canteen, toilets and the all-important washing and changing areas. The offices were kitted out by Portakabin with desks and other furniture, which meant that staff could get straight back to work on the Monday after the fire. Production was also able to resume that same day, thanks to the hygienic new changing areas. It soon became clear that more office space was needed, and Portakabin was quickly able to convert the single-storey office building into a two-storey block, making the best use of the available space.

All of the buildings and furniture are on hire for an initial period, which can be extended for as long as the company requires the facilities. Work is already under way to protect the fire-damaged building and refurbish the devastated office accommodation. In the meantime, the firm's 62 dedicated employees have settled in to their new Portakabin accommodation, and are delighted to be back at work so soon after the fire.

"The client is absolutely delighted that Portakabin's rapid solution meant that business interruption costs were kept to a minimum. The company was extremely pleased to be up and running again so quickly, and were very impressed with the rapid response from Portakabin. From the very beginning the managing director was determined to get his business going again very rapidly and, with the help of his staff and the excellent service provided by Portakabin, the firm was soon back on its feet."

John Firminger, Special Adjusting Network Surveyor at Cunningham Lindsey