SOUTH BUFFALO TWP, Armstrong County — After 27 years in business, Blume’s Solid Surface Products on Freeport Road has closed because a fire destroyed its facility last month.

The fire hit the company’s main building on Jan. 13, causing about $1 million in damage.

The business, founded in 1988, is owned by the Blume family, including President Gus Blume and Vice President Dot Blume. The family announced on the company’s website and Facebook page that it will not reopen.

“With great sadness and heavy hearts the Blume family is announcing that we do not intend to reopen. It has been an amazing 27 years of business, and we want to thank all of our employees, customers and vendors. Thank you for your support,” the announcement said.

Members of the family could not be reached for comment.

The fire started shortly after 6 p.m. due to a malfunction in an engine block heater in one of the company’s trucks. The 200-foot-by-200-foot building, which was about 5 miles northeast of Freeport, was destroyed along with the machinery and products inside.

More than 100 firefighters from 17 departments in four counties were required to tame the flames in a several hour battle.

Blume’s sold solid surface, quartz and granite countertops wholesale to independent kitchen and bath dealers.

Keith Haight, executive director of the International Surface Fabricators Association, which is based in Gibsonia, said that Blume’s provided a well-known, high quality product to customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

The association was founded in 1997, and the Blumes had helped to start it.

“There is a huge void in the industry right now,” Haight said about the impact of the fire.

He said that it is sad, but understandable that the Blumes have decided not to reopen. Haight said the family put their hearts and souls into the business for decades.

“For them to make a decision like that is absolutely understandable,” Haight said.

He said the Blumes mostly did wholesale, business-to-business work, but he said they sometimes got walk-ins from people interested in looking at the products.

“They had a beautiful showroom,” Haight said.

Since the fire, he said that there has been a huge amount of support for the family within the industry.