When business improved, Cavanaugh moved his business from an 8,000-sf structure in Brighton to a 20,000-sf building in Whitmore Lake in 1997 before moving to the Howell Township building in 1999. In December, he bought a 47,000-sf building across the street from his current location, and is leasing all but 5,000 sf of that space to another business. At the time of the fire, he was negotiating to buy a 50,000-sf building in Howell for his plastics company. He is continuing those negotiations.

Cavanaugh employed about 50 people before the fire. He got nine of them back to work, filling orders, and is trying to get the rest of his employees back to work as soon as possible.

Fire officials believe the fire started after third-shift workers used a cutting torch to free plastic caught in a grinding machine. The plastic caught fire. The employees attempted to extinguish the fire before calling authorities, said Brian Anderson, assistant chief for the Howell Area Fire Authority.