A devastating fire broke out at Creps United Publications when a paper break resulted in a printing press oven and thus triggering a negative air flow which “pulled the flames” out of the oven. The printing plant quickly was engulfed in flames that consumed one of the press buildings. Smoke and soot concurrently travelled through tunnels that connected to the balance of the manufacturing facility. Before the fire was eradicated by the local fire department, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, had experienced its largest fire loss in history.
Creps’ ownership and management team enlisted the assistance of its outside corporate counsel who made a joint decision to hire the Alex N. Sill Company, the nation’s leading public insurance claims adjuster and loss consultant due to the breadth and depth if its in-house services and staff. The roster included in-house adjusters, building appraisers, contents appraisers and forensic accountants.
Creps was specifically influenced by the extensive experience Sill had in adjusting printing company losses as well as the extensive knowledge of Sill’s management of printing operations. Sill immediately went to work on behalf of the policyholder, persevering through the insurance company’s position that many of the presses and equipment could be cleaned and salvaged. Ultimately, Sill’s work resulted in a recovery in excess of $40 million for Creps, and as importantly, permitted Creps’ management to stay exclusively focused on getting its clients’ work produced at sub-contractor/printers, thereby maintaining its client base.
In summary, Jacob Creps had this to say about Sill’s contribution and adjustment:
“[My] company suffered a devastating loss that wiped out our printing plant in Indiana, Pennsylvania . . . Fortunately for us we decided to hire the Alex Sill Company to guide us and lead us through the lengthy and tedious claims process.
“The Sill team . . . were fantastic to work with, and I truly feel that they were able to maximize the dollars that we received from the insurance company. Looking back on the entire process, I don’t know how we would have managed without the Sill Company. That decision allowed me to focus my efforts on getting my business back up and running, not spending time putting together an insurance claim. Without hesitation, I would recommend the Alex Sill Company to anyone who has suffered a fire loss.”
Jacob Creps, Partner