VAN NUYS : Video Company Solves Space Problem

Tim Crawford may have been one of the few people to actually gain anything from last year’s rioting: space.

Crawford’s video distribution company, Indy Video, sustained smoke damage during last year’s riots after someone threw two Molotov cocktails into the adjacent office on the second floor of the building at 15904 Strathern St., in Van Nuys.

Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators have not solved the case, but Crawford used the tragedy to solve a problem: room for his company’s expansion.

“After the firebomb, the landlord completely refurbished the damaged offices,” Crawford said. “It was like brand-new.”

When the tenant of the firebombed office moved out, Crawford saw the opportunity to expand without having to relocate. “It was very good for me,” Crawford said of the space he gained.