Noke Van Co. stays busy, looks to future after devastating fire

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - When the Noke Van Co. building in Roanoke burned to the ground nearly two weeks ago, the owners said it felt like they were living in a nightmare.

But now that they’re working on a new potential building and staff is back to work, they said they’re looking forward to this a new chapter.

Justin VanBlaricom and Justin Yerton will never forget the night where all was seemingly lost as they watched a building they poured years into turn to rubble and ash.

But from the moment they began to grieve, they also got back to work.

“We’ve had our Monday meetings, we’ve had our leadership team meetings, we’ve had people working,” said VanBlaricom, CEO and co-owner of Noke Van Co. “Even if it’s just sweeping and painting, anything that can keep these guys busy. Nobody likes to sit around and wait.”

VanBlaricom and Yerton said their company is rising from the ashes and they’re fixing up an empty building that’s also in the Riverdale Park, with hopes of it becoming the new home for Noke Van Co.

“We’re working with architects and city and all sorts of people trying to get that done, and so it’s moving quickly,” added VanBlaricom.

Business has been put on pause, as building vans has been traded for working with their insurance and filing claims. “I would do anything to work on a van right now,” joked VanBlaricom.

Yerton said they’re focusing on the future to ensure they never have to go through the nightmare ever again.

“What happened was truly an accident, so this encouraging for us because as we move forward... It’s a chance for us to to put even more checks and balances in place. As a company, we’re looking at like fire suppression systems in every single electrical cabinet that we have,” said Yerton, co-owner and Chief Design Officer.

And they’re doing it all with high spirits. “People keep telling us that what’s coming in version 2.0 is going to be beyond our expectations, and so far that’s what it feels like,” said Yerton.

A GoFundMe account has been set up; all proceeds will go toward the staff, so everyone can continue working for the company.