A CARDIGAN business has vowed to bounce back after a devastating fire.

The blaze at Cardigan boatbuilders Swallow Yachts, on Gwbert Road, ripped through its manufacturing workshop in the early hours of Friday morning.

The workshop was completely destroyed in the fire which broke out at around 12.20am but company boss Matt Newland is determined it will rise again from the ashes.

“My parents who live next to the factory rang me in the early hours to tell me the workshop was engulfed by flames,” said Matt, who runs the business alongside wife Ana.

“I live a couple of miles away and by the time I arrived along with the fire crews there was little they could do but to stop if spreading.

“It was the manufacturing workshop where we make all the pieces that go into the boats. There was loads of machinery in there, as well as all the parts for the boats including the engines. It’s a devastating blow.

“We don’t know the cause yet but we are definitely going to rebuild.”

The company, which employs 10 people and was currently recruiting extra staff, was set up by Matt’s father Nick and the workshop was built in 2007/2008.

“The new jobs have been put on hold for the moment and I am running round trying to put a plan together to get boats we have on order delivered to our customers,” he said.

“We are trying to make it business as usual for as far as possible. I have done my crying and thankfully no-one was hurt. Now we have to look to rebuild.”

And Matt has also expressed his thanks to then local community for rallying round.

“We have been inundated with offers of help. It is so humbling with so many people offering their services and I cannot thank them enough. They have dropped everything to come to help us out” added Matt.

“I would also like to thank the fire brigade. They saved the other workshop by stopping the fire spreading and I am so grateful for that.”