“In the early morning hours of May 23, 1970, a disastrous fire, believe to be caused by lightning, destroyed our Corporate Headquarters and our principal manufacturing plant, also damaging other buildings at our manufacturing complex in metropolitan Detroit. Property, inventory and equipment loss from the ravaging fire was in excess of $10 million; most of our corporate records and many priceless keepsakes and mementos also were burned. Even more tragically, some of our most important manufacturing operations were abruptly shut down”. – Ozzie Olson
“Thirty three night shift employees escaped injury….for what officials call the most costly local fire in a decade….Company owner Oscar Olson was notified by telephone in Indianapolis early Saturday morning that his multi-million dollar plant was almost totally demolished….”I cried when they told me” said Olson, 56 who is in Indianapolis to watch his racing car-the Olsonite Eagle, driven by Dan Gurney-work out of the ‘500’ race. “The important thing is that nobody was hurt,” Olson said. “And I want to say right away that nobody will be laid off…. I love the Detroit area and the people that have worked for me here are great. I intend our headquarters to stay right here”.
-Detroit Free Press, May 24, 1970