An early morning fire at the REF factory caused more concern than just the condition of the building itself.

The big question for 60 people employed by the company is how long will they be out of work.

Because of this, the fire had the potential to cause economic strain throughout Butler County.

However, Butler County Commission for Economic Development Executive Director Ricky McLaney said he and the city are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the plant running and in Butler County.

&uot;The main thing we want to do is offer our assistance,&uot; said McLaney. &uot;Anything we can do to get them back in business, we will.&uot;

McLaney said that until repairs can be made temporary shelter could be provided to cut the down time of the plant.

&uot;We would like to look at some temporary locations around town,&uot; said McLaney. &uot;We have several locations around town that we think would be great.&uot;

For this to be possible the equipment will need to be moved immediately.

A shelter for the equipment will be needed relatively fast to keep it in working order..

Efforts have already begun to find shelter for the equipment from rain and other elements that could cause it harm.

REF owner Paul Flubacher was intent on getting the Greenville plant back up and running.

&uot;We are going to continue to work as fast as we can to get everything in order,&uot; said Flubacher. &uot;We don’t know how long it will take us, but we are going to work as hard as we can.&uot;

This will be good news for REF employees as well as other businesses in Greenville.

CMC, the building next door to REF, will benefit greatly from a fast recovery.

The two have worked hand in hand since their founding and have had a strong relationship.

So far, on the recovery front, the news has been good.

If all the cards fall into place the long-term problems that could be caused by the fire may be a non-issue.