Munich, Germany, selected newest
West Virginia trade office

Gov. Cecil H. Underwood recently joined Graf Norbert von Stillfried, director of the Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Transportation and Technology, in announcing the selection of Munich, Germany, as the location of West Virginia’s new Europe trade office.

“The West Virginia Europe office in Munich will greatly enhance our export and investment opportunities throughout Europe,“ Gov. Underwood said.

“Our other trade offices in Japan and Taiwan have been true catalysts for the tremendous economic success we have experienced during the last decade. We’re ready to build on this great success with the expansion of our presence in Europe.”

Munich is the largest of Germany’s 16 federal states. Its diverse economy includes many of West Virginia’s target industries, such as the automotive, plastics, aerospace, wood and high technology industries. West Virginia exports more goods to the European Union than to any other country. The Europe office, West Virginia’s third international trade office, is expected to be operational by the end of 1998.

Toyota announces plans
for more expansion at Buffalo

Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia (TMMWV) announced it will expand its Buffalo engine plant to include an automatic transmission plant, creating 200 new jobs.

The new $200 million project brings Toyota’s total investment in the state to $900 million and total employment to 800 people at the Buffalo site. The transmission plant is the second expansion Toyota has announced for its West Virginia operations since it began plans in 1996 to locate in West Virginia.

President of TMMWV Tomoya Toriumi said West Virginia’s quality work force reinforced the company’s decision for further expansion in the state.

“This announcement is very significant for Toyota, for this will be the first time we will produce automatic transmissions outside of Japan,” Toriumi said. “This speaks well of the confidence Toyota has in the West Virginia work force.”

The 300,000-square-foot facility will manufacture 360,000 automatic transmissions a year for Toyota Camrys; production is scheduled to begin in 2001.

West Virginia manufacturers
add jobs, improve productivity

West Virginia outpaced the national average in manufacturing job growth for 1997-1998, according to reports compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, the 1996 Survey of Manufacturers and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

West Virginia achieved a 1.7 percent growth rate, as compared to the national average of 1.2 percent. The same reports ranked West Virginia eighth in the United States in manufacturing value added per production worker for 1996. The survey shows West Virginia production workers added value of $163,885 per worker, while the U.S. average was $143,847.

Applied Card Systems brings
1,000 jobs to Huntington

One of the nation’s fastest-growing credit card servicing companies, Applied Card Systems, will invest $12 million to establish a new service center in Huntington that will create 1,000 jobs. Applied Card Systems’ announcement represents the largest single job announcement in the state during 1998.

“Applied Card Systems is the latest high technology business to show confidence in our state’s quality work force and advanced telecommunications infrastructure,” said Gov. Cecil H. Underwood.

“We appreciate its investment and look forward to helping the company grow and prosper in West Virginia.”

Company Chairman Rocco Abessinio said, “The impressive quality of West Virginia’s work force and the availability of the Arch Coal building were a perfect fit for our immediate needs.”

The company will occupy the 100,000-square-foot Arch Coal complex and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 1998. Annual payroll is expected to exceed $20 million.

Newly formed A.E. opens
first facility in Upshur County

Gov. Cecil H. Underwood recently joined A.E. Inc. officials in announcing the location of the new company’s first facility, to be located in Buckhannon.

As many as 100 new jobs will be created when the company opens its $5.6 million plant in 1999. A.E. will manufacture aluminum stampings for electric conductors, which are used by electric producers such as General Electric, Westinghouse and Howard.

A.E. President John Eddy said the company’s location in Upshur County will allow it to access local aluminum suppliers.

“Upshur County provides us with an excellent talent pool, close proximity to suppliers and central location to markets,” Eddy said.

A.E. will occupy 65,000 square feet in the former Moore Business Forms plant in Buckhannon.

Aegis Communications to create
400 jobs in Randolph County

A new Aegis Communications Group client service center in Elkins will create as many as 400 new jobs.

The Elkins facility joins Aegis’ first West Virginia teleservices center in Fairmont, which employs more than 400 people.

Aegis Communications Group, a leader in integrated marketing services, employs more than 8,500 people and has more than 26 call centers nationwide. The Elkins center will be dedicated to inbound calls, serving a Fortune 500 company.

“West Virginia has all the right ingredients for Aegis Communications Group, including state-of-the-art telecommunications supported by Bell Atlantic, an excellent talent pool and pro-business climate,” said Daniel L. Lappin, vice president-regional operations manager, Aegis Communications Group.

At the announcement, Gov. Cecil H. Underwood said Aegis’ decision to locate a second facility in West Virginia shows the progress the state is making in telecommunications infrastructure.

West Virginia's unemployment
rate drops to 20-year low

West Virginia’s unemployment rate hit a 20-year low in September when the unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent, according to the state Bureau of Employment Programs. The rate was the lowest for any month since October 1978, when the rate hit 5.4 percent.

West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 1998 was 6.4 percent.

Greenfield Cabinet Works plans
Elkins plant, creates 77 new jobs

Greenfield Cabinet Works, a newly formed manufacturer of wood cabinets, announced plans to open a production facility in Elkins that will create 77 jobs.

The company will make a total investment exceeding $3 million in Randolph County. Owner Pat Corsi chose West Virginia after visiting numerous sites throughout the country.

“My 10-year search for the location to start a new company has focused on favorable financing, government cooperation and proximity to markets and materials,” Corsi said. “I found all of those factors in Elkins, West Virginia.”

The company will manufacture several product lines in a variety of styles and finishes for national remodeling and construction markets. Operations are expected to begin by the second quarter of 1999.

1998 job creation
on record pace

The economic development success West Virginia experienced in 1997 has continued in 1998, said Gov. Cecil H. Underwood.

Private businesses announced the creation of nearly 9,000 jobs and the investment of more than $1.15 billion since January 1998. The success follows 1997’s banner year, which posted more than $1 billion in new investment in the state and a record creation of 9,613 new jobs.

The majority of the economic developments in 1997 and 1998 has come from expansions of manufacturing companies with operations already in West Virginia. Most expansions have been made by the manufacturing industry, which the governor said is a positive statistic for West Virginia.

“I am very encouraged to see manufacturers invest in West Virginia,” Underwood said. “Their presence helps strengthen and diversify our economy.”

W.Va. signs technology exchange
agreement with Gifu Prefecture

Gov. Cecil H. Underwood joined Gov. Taku Kajiwara of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, in signing a new technology agreement between the two states.

According to the agreement, “West Virginia and Gifu Prefecture will cooperate strongly with each other in developing various fields of the 21st century’s leading, cutting-edge technology, beginning with development of software and virtual reality technology.”

Both states will exchange personnel to support research and development projects and will join resources to support the start-up of technology-based companies in Gifu and West Virginia.

“As we prepare for the job opportunities of the next century, this exchange with a global partner will enhance our ability to become a national leader in technology-based industry development,” said Gov. Underwood.

The agreement also promotes exchanges to support and plan further economic development, supports exchanges at the regional administrative level in education, and continued trade, business and cultural exchanges.

Snyder Industries brings
40 new jobs to Barbour County

Snyder Industries Inc., a leading manufacturer of polyethylene tanks and containers for agricultural and industrial materials, is investing $2.1 million in a new manufacturing facility in Philippi, creating as many as 40 new jobs.

The Nebraska-based company, established in 1958, also specializes in custom rotational molded design and engineering of large durable plastic products for a variety of industries and applications.

The company, which has operations in Alabama, Arkansas and Nebraska, chose West Virginia as the site of its fifth facility after looking at sites in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Jim C. Hamer Lumber/
Mitsuhashi Lumber join forces

Japan-based Mitsuhashi Lumber and Jim C. Hamer Company announced a $1.5 million investment to establish a new veneer mill in Greenview.

The mill will produce basswood veneers exclusively for the Japanese market, where it will be sold and distributed by Mitsuhashi. The 22,000-square-foot plant is expected to employ 40.

The Jim C. Hamer Company, which currently operates four hardwood mills and one grading and drying site in West Virginia, also plans to establish a plywood plant at the Greenview site.

West Virginia travels north
for Canadian trade mission

West Virginia officials and business leaders interested in expanding export opportunities conducted a trade mission September 21-22 to Canada.

Although Canada is West Virginia’s top export market, the trip was the first state-sponsored trade mission to the country.

Exports from West Virginia to Canada exceeded $513 million in 1997 - a 66 percent increase since 1994.

The West Virginia delegation sponsored a luncheon for the Toronto Board of Trade, the city’s equivalent to a chamber of commerce, where representatives discussed the state’s economy and the opportunities for additional trade and investment.

Development initiative
to expand wood industry

West Virginia’s wood products industry, which now accounts for more than 14 percent of state manufacturing jobs, will be further strengthened through a comprehensive wood industry initative led by the West Virginia Development Office.

Efforts to expand the industry’s annual contribution to the state economy, currently more than $3.9 billion, will emphasize West Virginia’s business advantages, such as abundant natural resources, central location, skilled work force and existing network of technology, training and research programs.

FMC will become first
"brownfields" project

A 27-acre site owned by FMC Corporation in South Charleston will be the first former industrial site to be redeveloped under the “brownfields” program. The Legislature approved the program in 1996 to encourage the cleanup of old industrial sites for future development. Cleanup at the FMC site is expected to begin in 1999.