Explosion rocks ingot maker near Cleveland

An explosion reportedly involving molten metal has caused at least one death, multiple injuries and damage at I. Schumann & Co. near Cleveland. The producer of recycled-content brass, bronze and other metal ingots says as of Tuesday evening the explosion was “of unknown origin.”

The I. Schumann facility in Oakwood Village, Ohio, is in a largely industrial section of the southeastern Cleveland suburbs.

The company says its production process includes “sustainably sourcing tonnage of recycled metal daily” to make a roster of metal products. That list includes several types of brass and bronze ingots and pellets as Muwell as other alloys and primary metals.

Regarding the Feb. 20 explosion, the company says in a statement there have been “injuries to employees and significant damage to the facility.”

The I. Schumann statement adds, “We will work alongside investigators in their search for answers as part of our commitment to Northeast Ohio, where we have been operating for more than 100 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with our team members and their families at this difficult time.”

A report from WEWS-TV of Cleveland says the explosion “caused fires and blew debris over neighboring businesses, streets and cars.”

The report cites fire departments and other “local authorities” as saying there were multiple burn victims, with one taken from the scene by helicopter and others taken to a nearby hospital. “There were at least 14 people injured in the explosion,” WEWS-TV says.

It later was reported that one person, Steve Mullins, 46, died as a result of the explosion. According to the company's Facebook page, Mullins celebrated his 25th anniversary with the company in 2019. 

Mullins is survived by his wife, Danielle, and their two kids, Jaret and Maddie. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Mullins' family as well.

A representative from the Oakwood Fire Department appears to have acknowledged the largely safe, lengthy tenure of the I. Schumann facility, calling it a “relatively safe plant,” and adding, “You’re dealing with molten hot metal—so there’s always an inherent danger.”

The aftermath of the explosion was described by a TV reporter on the scene who also spoke to a witness seated in his car across the street when it occurred. That witness says he heard a loud “boom” while eating lunch inside his car. He said he was thankful not to have been hit by debris.

“Bricks from the building were thrown across the parking lot," WEWS says in its report. "The brick wall of the building was completely blown away. Bricks struck cars and nearby businesses. Debris from the explosion was blown across the street.”

A fire department official told WEWS there is a noticeable smell in the aftermath of the explosion, and the report also lists several temporary road closures enacted as crews investigate and clean up after the incident.

I. Schumann is one of just a few participants in a North American metals industry sector that both shrank and consolidated in the era of offshoring and globalization.

In 2003, then co-owner Ron Schumann of I. Schumann & Co. told attendees at an Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) event, “In 1960, there were more than 60 brass ingot makers in the United States; today there are 10 left.” (Ron Schumann died in 2013.)