Barnett Selling's positive attitude in the aftermath of a Christmas Day fire that destroyed a building housing his business could not go without notice.

Selling, who owns Starrr Products, which moved to Clinton Township only about a month ago from Gibsonia, Allegheny County, was moving quickly to have the company resume full operations at another site in Butler County.

His faith in this county also cannot go without notice.

The Christmas morning blaze caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage and, according to Selling, "vaporized" the company's equipment and supplies. Among the equipment destroyed were industrial-sized sewing machines.

Starrr, which has been in business for approximately three years, has fewer than 20 employers. However, Selling said, the company has a growing customer base and he estimated that Starrr's volume of business could triple during 2005.

Hopefully this new year will meet Selling's expectations and otherwise produce better fortunes for Starrr than the final days of 2004.