SOUTH POINT, OH (WCHS/WVAH) — HarbisonWalker International broke ground on its high tech monolithic refractory plant Thursday marking the beginning of a 30 million dollar investment into South Point, Ohio.
HarbisonWalker CEO Steve Delo said the site will make high grade refractory products that allow other manufacturers to mold molten steel, glass, or rock.
“I love this,” he said at the groundbreaking.
The plant will require 30 workers to start and then ramp up from there as they expand.
“We expect people to be a part of making the site better every day,” Delo said.
Bill Dingus helped bring the plant to The Point business park.
He said the area’s workforce is highly skilled but may need additional training to be able to work with the high tech equipment.
“Look at going back to upgrade their skills to the various types of manufacturing in the technology and safety,” Dingus said, “the kind of things that are important to companies.”
He said train, and train now.
John Molinaro works with Appalachian development companies and said HWI came to south point because of a robust river, rail, and highway transportation system.
“We are within one day’s truck travel of 60% of the North American population and business,” Molinaro said, “Companies are looking for that kind of combination, some place where they can do business.”
Bill Dingus said The Point is already trying to bring at least two more companies onto the site on top of HarbisonWalker.
HarbisonWalker plans to be open in the first half of 2018.
From WCHS8 News | June 8, 2017
