NEW MARTINSVILLE - Wetzel County's already considerable unemployment woes are taking another hit - this time with the planned closure of Bayer MaterialScience's resins operations in New Martinsville.
The plant's Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties resins operations is scheduled to close at the end of this year, leaving 40 people jobless. Bayer spokesman Sean Kelly declined Friday to disclose exactly why the closure was occurring, noting only that it was part "of ongoing global restructuring initiatives" at Bayer.
"Sourcing of these products will be consolidated into various existing world scale facilities. These facilities are located in Europe, Asia and the U.S.," Kelly said.
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Photo by Casey Junkins
New Martinsville City Recorder Bonnie Shannon, left, and Mayor Lucille Blum are working to bring new economic development to the city in the face of more job losses.
The employees were notified Thursday about losing their jobs. A news release notes the workers "will have the opportunity to explore employment within other parts of the company." Kelly said none of the 40 workers have yet to relocate. And about 260 remain at the plant.
Kelly declined to disclose: the amount of money the company would save because of the closure; the salaries of those positions; or whether more layoffs or closures were planned in New Martinsville or other Bayer facilities.
Because of the impending loss of 40 positions, Wetzel County's jobless numbers seem likely to increase through the end of 2009 - a fact not lost to New Martinsville Mayor Lucille Blum. The county's unemployment rate for the month of June was already at 14.3 percent.
"With Bayer announcing another layoff today, things will be getting even tougher," she said Friday.
The average unemployment rate for 10 local counties is now 12 percent, due to 1,910 more local workers filing jobless claims in June than in May. And with companies like Bayer, PPG Industries, Columbian Chemicals Co. and Ormet Corp. shedding jobs, workers in Wetzel County and throughout the region are finding it is more difficult to secure employment.
According to statistics provided by WorkForce West Virginia and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Service, Wetzel County's 14.3 percent unemployment rate for June is up from 11.4 percent in May. The number is more than double the county's unemployment rate of 7 percent for June 2008.
The statewide unemployment rate for West Virginia has now reached 9.4 percent, its highest since the 1983 average of 17.4 percent.
Ohio's current statewide jobless rate is 11.2 percent.
The unemployment news is particularly harsh for New Martinsville and Wetzel County - and Blum does not see it getting better anytime soon.
"I expect that rate to go even higher because so many people who have lived here have worked in industry. ... I believe these companies are going to continue reducing jobs here for the foreseeable future," she said.
Noting the loss of industry has been particularly harsh over the past few years, Blum said this is just a fact of life with which the community must cope.
"I do not see a revival in industry here. ... It is a fact of life that the economy has changed here, and will continue to change," she said.
"Life is about change. You can either change with the times, or get swept away by the change," Blum added.
Although she believes the economic transition is inevitable, Blum said the loss of industrial jobs is handicapping the city's coffers.
"We are seeing considerable changes to our city budget right now. ... We have not yet cut employees or services, but we may be forced to do that in the future," she said.
"We also have seen some businesses close here recently. There are now several empty homes because the people who lived in those homes have been forced to leave the area, and no one can afford to buy them," she said.
Blum said the job losses also impact the amount of money that can go to helping the poor.
"It is difficult to run a soup kitchen now. When you can't help those who need help, it is really a problem," she said.
Although Blum does not foresee an industrial renaissance for New Martinsville and the region, she said city leaders are doing the best they can to move the city in a positive direction.
"We are working to develop our riverfront area into a recreation area and tourist attraction. Developing the riverfront can provide us a fresh start as we move forward," she said.
As companies like Bayer continue reducing operations, Blum said communities like New Martinsville must cope the best they can.
"In this community, we have a long history of drawing together to deal with challenging times, and this is what we have to do now," she said.
Bayer's New Martinsville site is expected to continue manufacturing polyurethanes raw materials used in the tool, medical, automobile and sporting goods industries.
The resins operation manufactures materials for use in the furniture, construction and automobile industries.