Around the State
Armstrong to build new Jackson County plant
CHARLESTON —
Armstrong World Industries plans to build a $30 million to $35 million plant in Jackson County that produces mineral wool, which is used in acoustical ceiling tile, the office of Gov. Joe Manchin has announced.
Armstrong plans to build the state-of-the-art plant adjacent to the Century Aluminum Co. plant, according to a news release issued by the Governor’s Office. The 30,000-square-foot plant will be built on about 18 acres. It is scheduled to begin production in mid-2012. The new plant will be a significant addition to the Jackson County Maritime and Industrial Centre in Millwood, Manchin’s office said.
Armstrong will begin the hiring for its manufacturing operations about one year before the plant is scheduled to open, the release said.
Manchin said Armstrong chose the Millwood site because of competitive electricity rates and its central location. Armstrong also operates a flooring plant at Beverly in Randolph County. That operation employs nearly 700, Manchin’s office said. Armstrong World Industries Inc. designs and manufactures floors, ceilings and cabinets. In 2009, Armstrong’s consolidated net sales totaled about $2.8 billion. Based in Lancaster, Pa., it operates 36 plants in nine countries and has about 10,800 employees worldwide.
New plant to open in Cabell County
BARBOURSVILLE —
Japan-based manufacturer Nippon Tungsten will open a new plant in Cabell County, a $2.4 million investment that is expected to create six jobs initially. Nippon Tungsten plans to occupy the 10,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by Central Sales at 2986 Cyrus Creek Road, off U.S. 60 in Barboursville.
It will be a high-tech specialized machine shop that will resharpen blades manufactured by Nippon Tungsten’s equipment in Japan.
The Huntington Area Development Council worked in partnership with the state and Nippon Tungsten officials to recruit the company.
“We’re thrilled. It’s great to have a new company here, particularly foreign investment,” said Marc Sprouse, president of HADCO.
The facility will service the company’s customers located throughout North America.
It will be the company’s first facility in North America and its first wholly-owned subsidiary outside Japan.
“Before deciding where to open our first facility in the U.S., we evaluated various locations,” Shozo Yoshida, president of Nippon Tungsten, said in a press release. “West Virginia offered advantages such as proximity to customers and an existing building that met our needs. When we also considered the assistance from state and local government and the positive experience of other Japanese companies in this state, we found West Virginia to be the best choice.”
The plant is scheduled to be in operation by May 2010.
U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller was instrumental in developing and sustaining ties between the state and businesses in Japan, said the release from the state Department of Commerce.
“This announcement of the 21st Japanese company to invest in West Virginia marks another important step in our relationship with Japan, and the jobs created truly matter,” Rockefeller said. “Nippon Tungsten’s choice to locate in West Virginia is further proof that our state is a great place to invest and grow.”
MU’s Lawrence is Professor of the Year
HUNTINGTON —
Bonita Lawrence, professor and associate chair of mathematics at Marshall University, has been named by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia as its 2009 Professor of the Year.
The award carries a $10,000 cash prize, and is made each year after the foundation’s board members evaluate dozens of nominations and interview five faculty members chosen as finalists.
Lawrence said she was stunned when she was announced as the winner at a dinner in Charleston on March 3. “I couldn’t believe I won. I was jumping up and down, and they had to take the trophy from me because they were afraid I would drop it.” Lawrence, who has earned degrees at Cameron University, Auburn University and University of Texas at Arlington, said her work with a differential organizer was one of the reasons she won the award. The device, which takes up four large tables in her classroom in MU’s Smith Hall, is a mechanical analog computer designed to solve differential equations with the solution drawn by the machine. Differential equations play a prominent role in various disciplines, including engineering, physics and economics.
An article in the Fall 2009 issue of Capacity (Page 34) profiled Lawrence and detailed her efforts to energize her students. Read it at...
http://capacity-magazine.com/MathMachinePortec Rail Products on FORBES list of 200 Best Small Companies
Forbes magazine has named Portec Rail Products among its 200 Best Small Companies. Portec manufactures and distributes a broad range of railroad products and operates a manufacturing and assembly plant in Huntington.
West Virginia to receive $6 million grant to train 1,800 for clean energy jobs
West Virginia will receive $6 million in federal economic stimulus funds to train 1,853 people for “green” jobs. WorkForce West Virginia will use the funds to work with educational and training providers to provide training and professional development. The program is expected to help 1,672 West Virginians find employment in “green” enterprises, including wind energy, bio-power industries and water and sewer plants.
Morgantown protein technology firm receives $1.7 million financing
Protea Biosciences has closed on a $1.7 million equity and debt financing from West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust. The biotech firm will use the funds to continue developing protein biomarker technology to identify disease-specific proteins. The firm expects to bring the technology to market in 2010. Protea employs a staff of 30.
West Virginia manufacturer and state agency win President’s Export Award
Kanawha Scales & Systems in Putnam County and the West Virginia Development Office (WVDO) were each recently honored as recipients of the President’s “E” Award. The “E” Award is the highest U.S. government recognition any U.S. entity may receive for supporting export activity. Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Presidential “E” Award program is managed by the International Trade Administration.
West Virginia schools get good marks in education report
West Virginia’s educational system received a B- in Education Week’s Quality County 2010 report. The national average score was a C. West Virginia was the first in the nation to receive an A in “Standards, Assessments and Accountability.” The state ranked seventh in the nation with a B- in “Teaching Profession.” West Virginia scored a C- in “Chances for Success,” a category based on 13 factors including family income, parents’ level of education and high school graduation rates.
