Century Aluminum plans $28 million
investment to upgrade production facility

Century Aluminum Co. will invest $28 million to upgrade plate prodution facilities at its Ravenswood aluminum plant in Jackson County, West Virginia.

The expansion project will double the plant's heat-treated plate production, allowing the company to compete for a greater market share of the rapidly growing market for aluminum plate used in building commercial jets.

"This project builds on Ravenswood's reputation as one of the best heavy-gauge plate mills in the world," said Gerald A. Meyers, president and CEO of Century Aluminum.

"Having more capacity to produce such a high value-added product is part of our strategy for improving Ravenswood's financial performance by leveraging its special manufacturing capabilities."

Work on the expansion is being completed in phases, with the final start-up slated to begin in the third quarter of 1998.

TeleSpectrum Worldwide announces plans
for two more centers in West Virginia

TeleSpectrum Worldwide, Inc., a Philadelphia-based telemarketing company, has announced plans to open two additional facilities in West Virginia, creating as many as 1,000 new jobs.

The company, formerly known as SOMAR, opened a call center in Southridge Business Park in Charleston in 1996, creating approximately 500 full-time jobs.

TeleSpectrum Worldwide, Inc. also operates call centers in Huntington and Beckley. Locations for the two new facilities will be announced at a later date.

TeleTech Holdings to open new facility
in Moundsville, to create up to 550 jobs

TeleTech Holdings, Inc., a Denver-based teleservices company, has announced plans to open a new facility in Moundsville, West Virginia this year, creating as many as 550 jobs.

TeleTech Holdings, Inc., supplies product information and support services for various manufacturers and companies.

AEP will build customer service center
in Putnam County; employ more than 130

American Electric Power (AEP) has announced plans to construct an $8.2 million regional customer service center in Putnam County. The new facility will be adjacent to Interstate 64 and create more than 130 jobs.

The call center will handle accounts, billing inquiries, outage and trouble reports for nearly 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, according to Dana Waldo, president of AEP-West Virginia.

The AEP center is expected to open during 1997.

Company will maintain Fortune 500 accounts
from Fairmont center; create 300 jobs

Edward Blank Associates, a New York-based telemarketing firm, recently announced plans to open a customer service center in Fairmont, creating 300 new jobs and possibly expanding by as many as 600 employees.

The company specializes in call maintenance for several Fortune 500 companies and is one of the 10 largest telemarketing companies in the country.

Company founder Edward Blank cited West Virginia's exemplary work force and telecommunications infrastructure as key factors in the company's decision to locate in Marion County.

"We believe basically in quality. We look for people who deliver that quality. West Virginia is known for its work ethic and quality of life," Blank said.

Sen. Byrd announces 1,100 more jobs
at FBI Fingerprint Center in Clarksburg

Senator Robert C. Byrd has announced that 1,100 additional jobs will be added during the next nine months at the FBI Fingerprint Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, exceeding original hiring estimates for the facility.

The need for additional workers was necessitated by more demands for fingerprint identification from law enforcement, schools, child care providers, banks and others, according to Byrd.

"In addition to the nationwide crime-fighting benefit, the plan will provide an extra-added boost to the north central West Virginia economy," Byrd said.

The FBI expects to have a total of 3,000 workers at the facility by the end of September 1997; 500 more than original FBI hiring estimates.

Auto parts manufacturer buys stamping
plant; move to add up to 200 jobs

The Mayflower Corporation, a Britain-based automotive parts manufacturer, has purchased South Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing's facility in Kanawha County in a move that will add as many as 200 jobs.

South Charleston Stamping manufactures automotive components for General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Mercedes. Mayflower plans to add engineering and design capabilities to the stamping work done at the South Charleston facility.

The facility currently employs more than 730 people.

National education magazine gives
top grades to West Virginia's system

West Virginia's public education system received high marks in a recent analysis by the national publication Education Week.

State schools received As in three categories: standards, level of spending and spending equity.

"We are delighted that West Virginia came out on top," said State School Superintendent Dr. Henry Marockie. "It is extremely gratifying to know that the tremendous reform efforts over the last eight years are paying off for the children of this state. This is a great accomplishment for the entire education community."

Overall, the nation's schools received the highest marks in setting standards for what students should know and be able to do. West Virginia was the only state to receive three As in the national education analysis.

Mineral County company to design
motor, control system for new missile

Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) will benefit from a new 20-year, $5 billion contract between Hughes Missle Systems Company and the Department of Defense.

The Mineral County company will design, develop and manufacture the solid propulsion rocket motor and control system for the U.S. military's new AIM-9X short-range missile.

In addition, the company will convert existing Mk36 Sidewinder motors to the AIM-9X configuration.

Polymer Alliance Zone gets director;
subject of study on development sites

Tom Linder of Parkersburg has been named executive director of the West Virginia Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ), comprised of Jackson, Mason and Wood counties. Linder will work as a loaned executive from DuPont's Washington Works. He will direct efforts to encourage plastics-related businesses to relocate or expand in the state.

A $15,000 site study is under way to identify and map potential development sites for plastics manufacturers within the Polymer Alliance Zone. The study, funded by the Marshall University Economic Development Adminstration University Center and the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Planning and Development Council, will use aerial photography to map and catalog project sites to allow economic development officials to fully prepare marketable sites. The study is expected to be completed by late summer.

Construction has started on a $6.5 million technical education center on the campus of West Virginia University-Parkersburg. The center is designed to provide industry with a trained work force and create good-paying jobs for young people. Officials with the college are working with local industry officials and labor union officials in developing educational programs for the new center that satisfy the employment needs of businesses. Companies such as Ames Co., GE Plastics, Schott Scientific Glass, Simonton Windows, Century Aluminum, DuPont and Walker Systems have expressed an interest in the new educational programs, according to WVU-P President Eldon Miller. The center is expected to be completed in 1998.

West Virginia formally opens
international trade office in Taiwan

Senator Jay Rockefeller and Tom Burns, executive director of the West Virginia Development Office, joined a group of West Virginia business leaders in officially opening the state's Taiwan Office January 16 at Taipei's World Trade Center.

The delegation attended the Trade Office opening during Project Harvest II, a nine-day trade mission to Taiwan and Japan.

The trip introduced West Virginia companies to Taiwanese and Japanese companies that are seeking investment and import opportunities.

West Virginia's focus on interantional development is paying off. Thanks to the assistance of the West Virginia Development Office's Nagoya, Japan, trade office, 10 Japanese companies have located new manufacturing facilities in the state since 1990, including Toyota Motor Corporation, NGK Spark Plug and Diamond Electric.

Faneuil Group to double work force
at its Huntington call center

The Faneuil Group, Boston, recently announced plans to double the work force at its Faneuil-West Virginia call center in Huntington, creating 200 new jobs.

"The Huntington location has provided Faneuil with ready access to the skilled employees, advanced communications infrastructure and scope for the expansion we required," said Alton Adams, Faneuil's president and chief executive officer.

Chemical industry responsible
for one-fifth of jobs in Kanawha Valley

A new study indicates that one out of every five jobs in the Kanawha Valley is related to the chemical industry.

The six-month study, compiled from research conducted by Marshall University's College of Business, Center for Business and Economic Research and West Virginia University's Bureau of Business Research in the College of Business and Economics, indicated the 5,879 chemical industry employees in Kanawha and Putnam counties had a payroll of $336.4 million in 1995.

The study also indicated that chemical companies in the Kanawha Valley helped create an additional 16,621 jobs with a total payroll of $454.6 million.

West Virginia reports the nation's
lowest crime rate, 23 years in a row

West Virginia has recorded the nation's lowest crime rate for 23 consecutive years, according to the most recent FBI statistics. The low crime rate is attributed to West Virginia's lifestyle qualities, which provide a safe, comfortable way of life for businesses and families.

West Virginia Development Office
debuts new website, searchable database

Mountains of Opportunity are awaiting those who visit the West Virginia Development Office's new Internet site at www.wvdo.org. The site features a searchable database that includes information on business and industrial development sites.