Ramsgate, UK – 6th November 2025 (2:00pm) – Following last night’s fire at Flambeau Europe’s Ramsgate facility, we are pleased to confirm that, as of 2:00pm today, the main revenue-generating injection moulding side of our business has returned to full operation.
The fire, which started between 8:00pm and 9:00pm on 5th November during our normal 24-hour weekday operations, was swiftly contained by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. After a thorough assessment this morning, it was determined that the damage was largely confined to either redundant sections of our factory or to peripheral processes.
Within the affected area, reground plastic and bags of bought-in polymer were damaged; however, these materials can be replaced. Crucially, the main production machinery—which drives the core of our operations—is located on the opposite side of the facility and was completely unharmed by the blaze.
As a responsible manufacturer, Flambeau Europe remains fully committed to its sustainability principles and environmental responsibilities. We continuously evaluate our processes to ensure safe, responsible, and sustainable operations across all areas of our business, and this incident is no different.
Once the situation was fully under control, our teams quickly began clean-up operations and enacted a restart plan for production, resulting in only 18 hours of total downtime across the site. Production has now restarted, and our focus will shift to restoring wider areas of the plant and further clean-up in the burn zone.
For the past 18 hours, our associates have shown remarkable determination to ensure minimal disruption to customers and operations. We are incredibly proud of their professionalism, and we extend our continued thanks to Kent Fire and Rescue Service, our team members, and the local community for their support and quick action.
Flambeau Europe remains fully operational and committed to maintaining service continuity for our customers while rebuilding and strengthening from this event.
A Message from Flambeau Europe
This is also a good time to address recent public comments and provide clarity around our long-term plans.
It has been widely and truthfully reported that we are exploring a move from the Manston Road site. The factory has served us well for over 30 years, but it is now showing its age. A move to a newer, more efficient facility will allow us to continue our growth trajectory and meet the demands of our expanding customer base.
When the time comes to vacate, the current site will be repurposed for new homes. Due to the building’s size and condition, it would be challenging to find a new occupant suited to its current use. Our preference is to remain within the Isle of Thanet but as we have struggled to find a suitable premises, Manston Road remains our operational home. We continue to maintain the site to a high standard and are committed to keeping it fit for occupation until our relocation.
We would also like to emphasise that plans to move are not new—for over a decade, Flambeau Europe has been exploring relocation options, but identifying a suitable site that meets our operational requirements has been difficult. Planning permission was initially granted in 2017 – 8 years ago – but that has since expired, hence the renewed approval in November of 2024.
Importantly, the Manston Road site has not been sold; Flambeau Europe continues to own and operate the facility in full.
In recent years, the business has experienced significant growth, welcoming major new customers including Makita and Nidec, which has improved our business performance and supported continued investment in new machinery. This year alone, three new injection moulding machines were purchased, bringing our total to 18.
Our ongoing work with local schools, careers fairs, and education partnerships underlines our commitment to the community and to fostering local employment opportunities. Flambeau Europe remains one of the largest manufacturing employers in Thanet, and we continue to invest in people, technology, and the future of British manufacturing.
Incidents such as this, and the earlier break-in this year, are undoubtedly disruptive. However, 2025 has proven once again that we are a resilient and determined organisation, capable of overcoming challenges while continuing to grow and serve our customers.
About Flambeau Europe:
Flambeau Europe is a Ramsgate-based custom injection moulding company specialising in the design and manufacture of high-quality plastic components. Serving a wide range of industries—including automotive, hygiene, retail, and industrial sectors—we offer end-to-end services from concept and design to tooling, manufacturing, finishing, and packaging. Our expertise spans both injection moulding and blow moulding, enabling us to deliver bespoke, reliable solutions to our customers across the UK and beyond.
