Harvey, Iowa-A fire, described by some on the scene as the largest they had ever seen, destroyed the main manufacturing building July 18 at Harvey Products, which produces pelletized lime and gypsum for the turf and agriculture markets. But officials associated with Harvey told Green Markets that television news reports that the business was a total loss were not accurate. Ron Mason, operations manager with the agri-consulting company Midwestern Bio-Ag, said that although the large bulk warehouse and part of the pelletizing facility were lost in the fire, Harvey is still shipping bagged products completed before the fire and is working on restoring electricity to ship other products by the end of the week. Midwestern Bio-Ag of Blue Mounds, Wisc., handles management functions for Harvey, which is located between Oskaloosa and Knoxville on Highway 92. The Marion County sheriff’s office reported no injuries in the blaze, which broke out just before 9 p.m. and brought fire crews from at least seven surrounding communities. Mason said Harvey will be able to produce some products right away while the burned-out areas are inspected to determine what is fixable and what needs replacing. On the optimistic side, he added, full operation could resume in about three months. Origin of the fire has been traced to a conveyor belt, but the cause is still under investigation.
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