Sports Belle Inc., the sports uniform supplier based in Knoxville, Tenn., is recovering after a fire on March 16 destroyed its headquarters and main factory in Knoxville. The facility employed 50 people.
The cause of the fire was apparently arson stemming from a burglary. According to a police report, the thefts happened in several offices and the production areas. The Rural/Metro Fire Department said the sprinkler system had been turned off sometime before the blaze.
Company owner Jesse Lee told SEW that according to a Knox County fire marshal report, someone broke into the factory, vandalized and stole merchandise, and then set the facility on fire to cover up any evidence. No arrests have been made or suspects found.
Lee said no one at Sports Belle has been implicated in the burglary, and he's convinced the theft came from someone outside the company.
“In these types of cases, Im learning that everyone is a suspect,” said Lee. “And we've all been interviewed and I think we've all been considered guilty until proven innocent and so far we've been proven innocent.”
On the positive side, Lee said the company was still in operation, and that all incoming football and basketball orders would be met for 2008 season. One program that has been suspended is spring items for baseball and softball due to time constraints until June 1.
Lee said the company has another sewing & cutting facility and another print facility that continues to fill orders. Also, leases have been signed for an office location and a manufacturing facility. Most of the administrative and production staff will be back at work by April 14, he said. In the meantime, management had been working from a temporary base set up next door to the factory provided by Powell Auction and Realty.
“We should be back up and running quickly and we're pursuing it very vigorously,” said Lee. “Contrary to rumors being said by certain competitors that are talking not only to dealers but also to athletic directors that we are out of business, we're fully in business.”
In the fire, the cutting & sewing factory, the warehouses, the print shop and most of Sports Belle's offices were destroyed. Plans call for tearing down and rebuilding the Knoxville facility after the company gets through the upcoming selling season. A separate insurance investigation is ongoing.
“We are able to maintain all our orders because we have the proper backup,” said Lee. “We also did not lose any documents or anything of that nature. We're very fortunate that we used to back everything up every night.”
Nonetheless, Lee is certainly disheartened to lose the factory, a place he worked at for 31 years. The blaze took about five hours to bring under control.
“It's just a total loss,” said Lee. “I've never seen anything like it. I spent over half my life in that one location so it's hard to take.”
Lee also expressed his gratitude to the numerous people and businesses that have reached out to him during this time. “You really do find out who your friends are in times like these.”
The firm has made a variety of sports uniforms and apparel since 1974, and has supplied high school and college teams around the country. At one time, it had the contracts for the University of Tennessee football and men's basketball teams. Athletes who have worn Sports Belle jerseys include Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Shaquille O'Neal and Todd Helton.
