New clients in the county’s industrial park will have access to on-site education, courtesy of Ohio University Southern Campus.

Wednesday, January 16, 2002

New clients in the county’s industrial park will have access to on-site education, courtesy of Ohio University Southern Campus.

Liebert Corp. will bring another line and a $1 million painting room, in addition to its current 75,000-square-foot expansion, to its Ironton plant.

A welding company, with its sights set on expansion, has relocated to Lawrence County.

Those numbered only a few of Tuesday’s industrial news items unveiled at the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation’s annual breakfast gathering and first board meeting of the new year.

"They’re all good companies, entrepreneurs who started their own; it’s beautiful," said LEDC board president Jim Barrett.

The announcements by local and national businesses – from surgery centers to electric power companies – totaled a private sector investment of more than $1 billion.

Jason Stephens, county commission president who worked on the incentive package with Duke Energy, called that news exciting.

"I look around the room and you’re talking about $1 billion that’s a lot of zeros," he said.

Barrett agreed, adding that some of the greatest news is that it’s private dollars flowing into the county.

"These people made conscious decisions to invest in our community," he said. "We stand up to a lot of tests. That speaks well for the county, and its a good solid foundation for the future."

On the announcement block Tuesday:

– Larry Langley of Alpha Welding, a company formerly in West Virginia, said the custom steel fabrication business will relocate to Lawrence County.

The company’s ready to break ground on five acres on Sand Road, and would like to add five employees within a year and another five in two years, Langley said.

Alpha Welding began looking for a site three years ago, favoring Lawrence because of its tax structure, he said.

The company has worked with the Rock Hill schools project, with the coal industry and with other industries throughout the country.

– Three Gables Outpatient Surgical Center, a $7 million project in Proctorville, will bring about 30 new jobs at first and and more as it grows, said director Patricia Januskiewicz.

Januskiewicz said the hospital facility will open for occupation in March and will see its first patients in April. The facility will handle orthopedic, pediatrics and other surgeries, with a goal to expand to general surgeries.

– OUSC will build a training center at The Point industrial park, for the technical needs of the park’s four current clients and any future clients, campus dean Dr. Dan Evans said.

The Ohio Board of Regents approved $850,000 for the project more than a year ago, and the gift of five acres from the LEDC sealed the deal, Dr. Evans said.

The training center will give the campus the opportunity to teach industrial classes in four classrooms, he said.

"When I hear you’re planning on expanding from an educator’s point of view, that means a need for education and training," he added. "OUSC has an excellent history of doing that and we will continue to do so."

– Duke Energy’s Chuck Claunch detailed current construction of the company’s $600 million natural gas-fired power plant in Hamilton Township. The company should be making power by June 2003, following construction that could employ as many as 1,000 workers during peak times.

The company will also makes a payment in lieu of taxes totaling $3.7 million to Rock Hill School District.

– Calpine Inc., an energy company that first targeted Hamilton Township for a similar power plant, is moving forward aggressively, said development director George Bacon.

It’s state regulatory permit from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s Power Siting Board comes up for review Jan. 28, which looks promising, he said. The project will employ hundreds of construction workers as well, and work is scheduled to begin this year.

Other companies detailing plans Tuesday included:

– Mid Valley Supply, RDI Construction, Tri-State Dialysis, Liebert Corp., Wilson Services, Superior Marine.