Mako Finished Products has relocated between 10 and 15 jobs from China to a facility in Portsmouth, where they have began machining and finishing castings produced by OSCO Industries.
“It’s very exciting that we are ‘reshoring’ jobs from overseas,” said Jason Kester, Southern Ohio Port Authority (SOPA) director.
Kester said a grand opening for the facility has been schedule for Oct. 2.
“Oct. 2 is going to be a great day because it will mark the opening of a new manufacturing facility since Appalachian Wood Flooring opened 10 years ago,” Kester said.
Kester said Mako Finished Products is operating in about 12,000 square feet of the Sole Choice Building on Murray Street in Portsmouth.
Kester said the opening of the facility is being planed in conjunction with National Manufacturing Month. He said there is a variety of events being planed.
“October is designated as National Manufacturing Month, and Oct. 3, 2014 as National Manufacturing Day. As part of the celebration officials from SOPA, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Resource Network, Main Street Portsmouth, Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG), JobsOhio, City of Portsmouth, Village of New Boston, and Scioto County have partnered to present multiple events between Oct. 1-3, 2014,” Kester said.
According to Kester, Oct. 1 has been designated “Business Retention Day” and officials from across our community will visit businesses in an effort to make sure they have the resource to grow and expand their business.
“Approximately 90 percent of all new job creation in rural communities originates from growth of existing businesses.
There’s too many businesses for me to visit, so it’s exciting to see the coordination between the different groups in our community to address this important effort,” Kester said.
Kester said also that day is a tentatively scheduled community meeting on the area-wide EPA planning grant at Shawnee State University. Additional details forthcoming.
On Oct. 2, 2014, SOPA and the City of Portsmouth will celebrate the grand opening of Mako Finished Products, a grand opening is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mako’s production facility co-located in SoleChoice building at 830 Murray St., Portsmouth.
“Tours of both companies (Mako Finished Products and Sole Choice) will take place as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony, and the presentation of an economic development grant from the Fluor-BW Opportunity Fund. This project would not have happened had it not been for the support of OSCO, SoleChoice, JEDISO, and Fluor-BW,” Kester said.
SOPA has also scheduled a stakeholders breakfast, Kester said this event will allow time for SOPA to update stakeholders on the progress of SOPA.
“It’s important our investors understand what we’ve done and where we are going. We need to be as transparent as possible,” Kester said.
For more information on National Manufacturing Day visit http://www.mfgday.com.
Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT
From Portsmouth Daily Times | By Wayne Allen | Sept. 16, 2014
