As workers and others gathered inside the temporary quarters for Wendell August Forge Thursday, all bowed their heads in prayer.
President Will Knecht insisted the day could only be the result of what he called "divine providence," being able to start making the company's specialty gift ware just days after fire destroyed its 80-year-old forge in Grove City.
"This facility, that we vacated about thirteen months ago, and we moved it all back into the main facility, was still wired and laid out exactly as we had left it," he said. "They hadn't been able to rent it out yet."
Their first task: create 20,000 replica tickets for the Pittsburgh Penguins' last home game at Mellon Arena, all to be ready by April 6. It's the company's largest order ever, and it came in just days before the fire. In the meantime, others are working to restore the company's thousands of stamping dies scorched and damaged in the blaze.
Again, Knecht credited his late father's decision years ago to store the dies in a flame proof vault, otherwise they could all have been lost.
About 45 minutes after being hammered out, that first piece was done. Thousands more will be needed over the next three and a half weeks.
Owners are also already working with Grove City officials to rebuild their forge on the same spot where the old one stood for so long.
They plan to have it up and running within the next the next 18 months.
