Nucor VP: Panhandle Is Still On The Radar
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WHEELING -- Nucor's vice-president and general manager said the back-and-forth between West Virginia communities and corporation was chief among the deciding factors when selecting Apple Grove in Mason County as the site of their new plant.
John Farris discussed the decision making process at the "Why West Virginia: Engaging Locally for Economic Opportunity" panel, part of the West Virginia Manufacturing/Energy/Growth Summit Tuesday, held at Oglebay Park's Wilson Lodge. The steel giant was among other major players in the manufacturing and energy fields, including Shell, U.S. Steel, and EQT.
Following his presentation, Farris said that while Nucor was not ready to make an announcement on future development in the Northern Panhandle, the steel company was examining a few sites at the north end of the state.
"We're looking at Weirton, and there's also a site north of Weirton we're looking at, right across the river from Wellsville," Farris said.
Developing locally, Farris said, would enable Nucor to have a local pipeline to the east coast from their Mason County facility, announced early this year.
"The idea is, we want to ship finished product via barges, take advantage of the low-cost shipping lane, move product up there to get it closer to where our end customers are, and get greater availability."
During the panel, Farris said Nucor was enticed to settle in West Virginia due to a willingness for local community leaders to come meet with workers and employees in the field at a plant in Kentucky, which he said demonstrated their willingness to understand what attracting Nucor to the Mountain State would mean locally.
"They all came down with their boots, hard hats and jackets and we went out. That shows their desire was really to understand what are we getting in West Virginia," Farris said.
The panel was also attended by Maribeth Anderson, director of government relations with Antero Resources, John Musgrave, who serves on the Mason County Development Authority, and Mitch Carmichael, who serves as director of the state Department of Economic Development.
Carmichael said West Virginia's biggest strength, from a labor market perspective, was high retention for manufacturing jobs, he told the gathered business leaders.
"West Virginia is a great place to locate and expand your opportunities," Carmichael said. "… West Virginia has the No. 1 retention rate for manufacturing jobs in America. When one of our students, citizens, obtains a manufacturing job, or a good job anywhere in West Virginia, they're more loyal to that company than any place in America.
"As you think about talent, attracting and training a workforce to the unique aspects of that business, how important is it to retain that employee and not have to go through a retraining process?"
Charlie Burd, executive director of the Gas and Oil Association of WV, said West Virginia was poised for a surge of growth, while tying into the growth of neighboring industries.
"We have a wonderful ability to directly assist in increased manufacturing productivity in the state," Burd said.
"Natural gas is used as a catalyst to develop chemical processes, to extend chemical processes, and the liquids off the natural gas being produced, ethylene in particular, when put through a cracker plant, ... is the building block of all plastics and synthetics we used globally."
Burd's sentiments regarding local natural gas growth were echoed in Farris' comments, as the Mountain State's advantageous geography made West Virginia a natural powerhouse.
"We are well-positioned to be a leader in that field of endeavor," he said. "Our proximity to the east coast makes us the ideal candidate to be a major supplier not just here, but worldwide."