From Fluor to Booms to Costner, BP Cleanup Means Some Clean Up
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Michigan’s depressed economy nearly toppled Grand Rapids-based awning maker Prestige Products. In April, the company’s fortunes changed when executive Brian Rickel got a phone call from an old contact at BP Plc.
It was 10 days after the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig had exploded, and the company needed help containing the gush of oil. Six weeks later, Prestige has rented a factory, filled it with millions of dollars of new equipment, and hired 74 workers, up from six in April. Using material similar to the vinyl in awnings, Prestige is churning out 12,000 feet a day of booms, the floating barriers that help contain oil slicks. Prestige hopes to double its output, if it can hire 50 additional workers.