BENWOOD - With an eye on future development and in an effort to preserve local jobs, an asphalt and concrete paving company is relocating its McMechen operations at a nearby13-acre site at the Benwood Industrial Park.
During a brief news conference this morning at the Benwood Municipal Building, Benwood city officials and a representative from Shelly and Sands Inc. announced the company would be "preserving" jobs in the local area by building a new plant at the city's industrial park.
"We're announcing the addition of a new asphalt plant at the Benwood Industrial Park. It will be a plant that employs or supports up to 60 jobs in the area said Mark Haverty, area manager for Shelly and Sands Inc. "It is through the hard work of our company employees that we're able to to expand in the area ... we're investing in the community," Haverty added.
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Photo by Scott McCloskey
From left, Benwood Mayor Ed Kuca and Police Chief Frank Longwell welcome Mark Haverty, area manager of Shelly and Sands Inc.
He said the company was looking to expand its operations at the McMechen facility and needed a larger area of land to be able to do that.
He said currently the site is being prepared and he expects major construction of the plant will begin sometime this fall.
"We produce hot mix asphalt. ... We're road paving - both on the interstate and two lane systems," said Haverty. "It will be a 250- to 300- ton-an-hour plant and we expect to be ready for the 2012 spring season," he added.
Haverty noted that there will be room at the site for any possible future expansion.
Benwood Police Chief Frank Longwell, who also co-chairs the community's economic committee said, "We may not have created jobs, but we saved a lot of jobs by having this location. ... we're happy to retain these good jobs."
He said he feels that once they get one American flag flying at that location, it will serve as a "domino effect" for other companies to locate there.
Benwood Mayor Ed Kuca said, "It is a pleasure to welcome this new business into our city. This is a perfect location for this company. We wish them many years of success in Benwood."
