Boom to aid in oil spill made in Loxely

LOXELY, Alabama (WALA) - The oil spill has brought at least one new company to the Gulf Coast. A manufacturing business just opened in Loxely. FOX10 News reporter Renee Dials talked to the owner who says business is already booming.

As a mechanical construction builder, Jay Graddick said he'd never even thought about oil containment boom until a few weeks ago.

"We had a lot of people contacting us wanting to buy it, and we said what's it take to make it?" Graddick said.

Graddick said the calls led to the birth of the new business SG & S Oil Recovery Product LLC.

"We made a few inquiries about the demand and the need for it. We contacted a company to buy the machines, and found the raw materials, and said look, lets put this thing together and try to help out," he said.

Graddick leases a warehouse in Loxley, and has hired 65 employees to produce the boom.

Right now, they're putting out about 12,000 linear feet per day. That's almost two miles. The goal is between 24 to 30 thousand.

"It's a new adventure by all means," said employee Brad Burton.

Burton is the project manager.

"My biggest challenge as a project manager right now is the raw materials. Getting raw materials from supplies and vendors across the states, and internationally, and making sure the guys are here getting the job done," Burton explained.

Graddick explained how the boom is made.

"It's a vinyl covered fabric, it's got nylon in it. We have these machines set up over here, that's a welding process, if you will. It fuses it, and it goes to four different welding stages. It's got a cable in it, a chain, then you put the flotation in it. You have to cut it and re-weld it back, and it has universal end pieces that connect the boom together out there. And it's per BP specifications," Graddick explained.

"We're working around the clock, 24-hours a day, two shifts. It's a good thing for the local economy. And we just hope we get enough orders to make it worth our while," Graddick added.

It's a sentiment shared by those on the assembly line.

The owner said the company plans to ship out 50,000 feet of the boom by Sunday.