Murray Timber Products is faced with a €16m bill to rebuild its mill in Ballygar, County Galway, after it was totally destroyed by fire.
The main production line, including €3m worth of machinery installed less than a year ago, was gutted in the blaze on August 23. The cause is so far unknown.
Managing director Paddy Murray said the planning process for rebuilding the mill had already started.
He said; “I think it will take at least a year to 15 months to get up and running again.”
Mr Murray said production was being maximised at the company’s other mill in County Carlow but overall output would be less than normal.
The 11-year-old main mill produced construction timber, as well as fencing and pallet timber. No jobs have been lost because of the blaze.
Planing and finishing facilities and offices at Ballygar were unaffected in the blaze and are continuing as normal.
Murray Timber Products is the second major Irish sawmiller to suffer a serious fire in the past two years. Glennon Brothers’ Longford mll was hit by a major fire in 2004.
