Bosses at a 130-year-old family firm hit twice by devastating floods fears a third will put them out of business.
BB Plastics in Lowlands Road, Mirfield, fought back after a £3 million flood in 2008.
But on Boxing Day last year the company – the UK’s biggest manufacturer of unbreakable plastic glasses – was engulfed again.
The nearby River Calder burst its banks putting the factory under 3ft of water, wrecking specialist machinery.
New machinery is on order but production has still not re-started and full production is not expected until September.
Latest insurance estimates put the likely bill this time around at £6.5 million.
General manager Mick Steer described the latest flood as a “total wipe out” and said: “We’ve been in this position twice but if it happens again we won’t be able to ride out the storm.”
The firm, which has 30 employees, has not had to lay off staff but the battle is on to stay afloat.
“We have been out of production for the whole of this year so far and it was nine months before we were back to normal in 2008. It will probably be the same this year,” said Mr Steer.
“We have 14 machines and these are specialist machines that you can’t just buy off the shelf.
“We have just had some new ones installed and we will probably have six by the end of the month.”
Boxing Day floods
BB Plastics, formerly known as the British Bung Company, exports to more than 25 countries across the globe. It makes plastic glasses for the pub trade and care homes and is also one of the biggest suppliers into the NHS.
Mr Steer said the firm had renewed its insurance last November and had the option of a second year.
As a result of the latest claim the offer of the second year has been withdrawn.
“After November it’s unlikely we’ll be covered for flooding,” he said. “Even if we are offered a policy the excess might run into millions of pounds which wouldn’t make it viable.”
