Manufacturer moves in old maintenance building

A manufacturer of wood-fired boilers and associated equipment is moving to the former Stimson mill site following a fire that destroyed the business¹s shop at Bonners Ferry.

Therm-a-Volt Co. currently employs five people but has employed up to 17, said business partner Starr Seton. Plans are for a workforce of 17 to 22 people once production gears up, she said.

Business founder Fred Seton got his start in the boiler business in 1978 and manufactured boilers and radiant heating systems in Washington, Canada, Alaska and Arizona before moving to Bonners Ferry in 2002.

After a welding accident sparked a fire that destroyed his shop on April 6, the Setons traveled across the state line to look for a new location for the business.

³We went to Troy and somebody suggested we come down here and so we did,² Fred Seton said.

He said he talked to Kootenai River Development Council director Paul Rumelhart about the property Stimson donated to the county¹s port authority, ³and that was it.²

Starr Seton said she has been overwhelmed by the welcome she has received from the community.

³Hopefully it will be our turn to welcome others,² she said.

The business is moving into a portion of the former maintenance shop. Fred Seton said he found the space to be perfect for his company¹s needs, with power to run welding equipment and a crane to lift heavy items.

A rental agreement will be drawn up based on the actual square footage being used once the business has fully moved in, Rumelhart said.

The Setons said they hope to begin production by the end of this week. Fred Seton said he is working on a cooling system and an electricity-producing exhaust turbine to go along with the boiler systems.

³I¹m an inventor more than anything else,² he said.

He said his goal is to produce practical, simple products that people can actually afford to purchase and use.

³There¹s so many things that come and go,² he said.