Little more than two years after losing his mattress recycling facility to a massive fire, Fabio Scaldaferri has had to watch his business go up in flames again.
Fire broke out at Mattress Recycling’s Mitchell Island location on June 16. The Richmond Fire Department says the fire broke out just before 2 p.m., sending up a massive wall of flame and smoke.
"The challenge with the building is it was full of combustible mattress material," said Richmond Fire Chief John McGowan. "And there was also a partial collapse of the building."
WATCH LIVE: Chopper 9 over massive fire on Mitchell Island https://t.co/QevCYmeYWF pic.twitter.com/DYCLoXTPpv
— CTV Vancouver (@CTVVancouver) June 16, 2017
The building was completely destroyed. No one was injured in the fire and no other businesses in the area were affected.
Mattress Recycling, which employs roughly 50 people, recovers the steel and foam from discarded mattresses and sells it to companies in Vancouver, Alberta and Washington. The salvaged wood is sold to the pulp and paper sector, and mattress cotton is reused locally in the upholstery market.
It was featured in Business in Vancouver this past January.
Scaldaferri, who lives in Vancouver, co-founded the green company in 2008. BIV reported that he now recycles 120,000 mattresses a year.
Finding suitable industrial space for the business after the May 2015 fire in South Vancouver was a challenge, Scaldaferri told BIV.
“I think there’s a bit of a blind spot in the West. We don’t seem to have what it takes and what industry needs here. It’s pretty concerning. It basically just boils down to a lack of investment, and it’s very frustrating for a business owner in a growing, green business.”
With files from Nelson Bennett at BIV.com.
