Didion Milling plans to rebuild after explosion

Didion Milling officials provided an update to the Cambria Village Board Monday night, a month after an explosion killed five people.

“In the past month I’ve attended five funerals, none of them have been easy,” said John Didion, CEO of Didion Milling.

The May 31 explosion killed five people and destroyed the milling facility.

Didion says all of the injured workers are home from the hospital.

All other employees are working in other Didion facilities. The company also plans to place roughly 50 workers who are without jobs until the milling facility is rebuilt, at other Cambria businesses, though they’ll stay on the Didion payroll.

“We wanna make sure their benefits are in order, stay in order, the healthcare the 401 K and make it as convenient for them to be employed when there’s a position open again,” Didion said.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by state agencies.

Demolition of what remains at the Didion Milling site will start July 10. Once that’s done, operations at other parts of the facility, like the ethanol and grain plant, will resume.

Didon says the mill will be rebuilt.