Windows are blown out of the SPS Technologies on Feb. 22, 2025 after a fire broke out earlier in the week at the manufacturing plant in Abington Township. (Rachel Ravina – MediaNews Group).
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija wrote a letter to Berkshire Hathaway CEO and Chairman Warren Buffett seeking assistance to save the jobs of hundreds of SPS Technologies workers after a massive fire destroyed the manufacturing plant last month.
In a March 14 letter, Makhija, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, appealed to the investment tycoon to provide a portion of the multinational conglomerate’s “historic cash pile” amounting to roughly $334 billion into one of his subsidiaries, Precision Castparts, a parent company and owner of SPS Technologies, Makhija said.
“When you think about what can be accomplished if we rebuild here in Montgomery County, it goes beyond the walls of this building, it goes into the community,” Makhija said during a press conference outside the Abington Township-based manufacturing plant.
SPS Technologies employs nearly 500 people in the manufacture of fasteners for aerospace-related products and has been in the area for more than 100 years.
The fire initially broke out Feb. 17 at the nearly 600,000-square-foot fastener manufacturing plant located at 301 Highland Ave. The incident closed schools, stopped rail transit and prompted the temporary evacuation of nearby homes amid air quality concerns.
The blaze, which Makhija categorized as one that “could well be the worst fire in our county’s history,” prompted the response of hundreds of firefighters from across the region to quell flames that took five days to fully extinguish. While more than 60 employees were inside at the time of the incident, all were evacuated, with no injuries or fatalities reported.
Montgomery County Commissioners issued commendations recognizing first responders for their efforts during a board meeting earlier this month. Makhija too informed Buffett of their heroism in a handwritten note at the end of the letter, inviting him to “meet these heroes.”
“As you consider your next investments, please think of this company and our community,” Makhija said in the letter addressed to the well-known “Oracle of Omaha.”
The manufacturing plant makes “critical parts” and products “essential for the country,” as Makhija noted SPS Technologies serves as the “sole suppliers for Black Hawk helicopters, for F-15 fighter jets, Boeing jets, [and] other military aircrafts.” As a significant part of the fabric of the Abington Township, the incident took a toll on the local economy, as Makhija noted that approximately half of SPS Technologies workforce “are facing immediate layoffs.”
SPS Communications Director David Dugan previously told MediaNews Group the company intended to compensate their employees through at least mid-March as company representatives assess current equipment viability. Dugan said on Monday that the compensation date has been extended through May 18 as well as “benefits until the end of May.”
“We also communicated that we would be contacting each person to let them know whether or not they would be employed past May 18th,” Dugan said in a March 17 statement to MediaNews Group. Dugan also confirmed approximately 250 employees could be impacted.
“There are some operations that are able to continue regardless of the status of the site,” Makhija said. “I’m not expecting every single person to get a letter, but look, people are just immediately trying to figure out how they’re going to make ends meet, and it’s not an easy time for anyone.”
“The cost of housing is extraordinary. Inflation has raised costs on everything,” he continued. “To be unemployed in general is not easy, and to have the kind of expertise and specialties that are had here also can make it harder.”
With respect to economic remediation efforts, Makhija affirmed intentions to work to assist SPS Technologies employees in conjunction with Montgomery County Commerce Director Stephen Forster.
While Makhija said during the March 6 meeting that Forster has been in talks with the fastener company and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industries representatives, SPS Technologies and county representatives plan to hold respective job fairs. Makhija said one is slated to take place next month as officials aim to “continue doing everything we can in that sense to provide other options.”
“Since the time of the fire … Montgomery County has been working to ensure that we can find a site where SPS can rebuild,” Makhija said. “We’ve been working to ensure that the workers here can provide for their families, protect their livelihoods and have a more certain future.”
The company is also the subject of two class-action lawsuits, with attorneys citing “hazardous materials mismanagement” and asserting that “SPS’s negligence and recklessness led to a catastrophic fire that caused significant health risks, property damage and economic losses to surrounding residents and businesses.”
In the meantime, a “demolition plan and timeline” to demolish the manufacturing plant is forthcoming, Dugan said, as Makhija hoped the company would rebuild locally. In addition to the existing parcel, he noted a dozen locations in Montgomery County “where there’s a possibility that this type of operation could function,” spotlighting one with “particular promise.” Makhija could not identify specific locations when asked on Monday.
Makhija did say on Monday that “SPS has reached out for a meeting,” and he is “looking forward to a conversation.” While Makhija is “hoping to hear back directly,” he hasn’t yet.
“We know that this is a worthy investment,” Makhija said. “The workers for SPS are a worthy investment, Montgomery County is a worthy investment and this is a company that is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which right now is one of the only companies in the stock market that’s going up, so they have more value than ever, and we hope that they’ll invest that right here in Montgomery County.”
