Wayne County Pride: Projecting a Positive Future

BUSINESS
& INDUSTRY
Brought to you by
Executive Director: Don Perdue
•
Executive Assistant: Carol Damron Cordell Adkins
BOARD MEMBERS:
ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBERS
Clayton Napier Mark Bradshaw - President
(Non-Voting):
Lavalette Development LLC
Hank Blume
Cordell Adkins Bonne Posma Larry Castle - Treasurer
Knives of All Kinds
Saminco North
Joyce Clark - Secretary
Jim Booton Robert Plymale Christopher Dean
Booton Realty
Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian
Stanley Fink
Jerry Brienza Transportation Inst
Thomas George
Tri-State Airport
Kenny Queen Jim Hale
Sara Chapman Kenny Queen
Kenny Hann
MCTC
Hardware & Supply
Thomas Jordan
Christie Kinsey Fred & Flora Russell Tim Kinsey - Vice President
Northwestern Mutual
Russell Realty
Randall May
Financial Network
Rodger Smith Rob Pennington
Tim Kinsey Rodger Smith Marine
Charles Sammons
United Bank
Michael Stephens Marc Sprouse
Paul Kruszynski Huntington Banks
Matt Stanley
United Bank, Ceredo
James N Sullivan
Michael Stephens
Patrick Myers Kevin Thompson James N Sullivan
AEP Ceredo Generating
McDonald’s
David Thompson
Station
CB Tooley Troy Varney
CB & H Parts Corp.
Wayne County Pride: Projecting a Positive Future
A Note from the Executive Director
Greetings from Wayne County! There is no
place quite like it and any imitators can only
aspire.
We incorporate beautiful surroundings, and
vibrant citizens with marvelous recreational
opportunities and a unique and glowing business climate.
The Prichard Intermodal Facility (in the works
now) emphasizes our growing reputation as a
Transportation Hub in the Mid-Atlantic for
over the road traffic, and our Tri-State Airport
(deemed one the top 5 most rapidly growing
airline facilities in the US) grants an added
caveat of establishing our bona fides as strong
provider of air transportation as well.
Couple all of that with our location at the intersection of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers
and it easy to see why we “glow” with such
strong enthusiasm for “the county where the
sun shines longest in West Virginia”.
Come and experience our “growing season”
here at the Western Gate to the Mountain
State!
Don Perdue. Executive Director
Wayne County Economic Development Authority
Progress 2012, A Special Supplement to
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Your One Stop Welding Shop!
Material Handling Parts & Service
Wayne Welding boasts a full line of
parts as well as expert service for your
forklifts and other material handling
equipment. Not sure if we can service
YOUR equipment brand? Just ask!
Conventional & CNC Machining
Operations
Wayne Welding is equipped with the
full line of milling and drilling systems along with our team of highly
skilled and certified machinists to
carefully design and create your order.
Hydraulic Cylinder Manufacture &
Repair
Simply provide us with the diameter &
length, both extended and retracted,
and we can create the precision hydraulic cylinder you need. Or, we are ready
to repair your existing equipment!
Metal Fabrication & Welding
Wayne Welding can restore your existing equipment or design & build it
brand new. We also feature our precision 10'x20' CNC Plasma Burner
Oxey/Fuel Table which cuts up to 2"
mild steel.
High Temperature Paint Facilities
Let Wayne Welding restore your gear
to like-new condition utilizing our
professional paint room and rust removal process to extend the life of
your heavy equipment.
Wayne Welding Is EASY To Find!
Our 36,000 square foot facility is located on 4.5 acres at
100 Prichard Industrial Park in Prichard, West Virginia...
20 minutes south of Huntington, WV.
We are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm
except for holidays.
Our phone number is 304-453-2234
or email [email protected]
The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2012, Page 3
Intermodal facility becoming reality
By DIANE POTTORFF
Staff Writer
PRICHARD – Ground
breaking for the Prichard
Intermodal Facility could
be soon.
Back in December,
officials in Wayne County
received
encouraging
news, Congressman Nick
Joe Rahall (D-W.Va.) with
Sen. John D. Rockefeller
IV (D-W.Va.) and Sent. Joe
Manchin (D-W.Va.) had
announced that the West
Virginia Port Authority has
been awarded $12 million
from the U.S. Department
of Transportation in the
construction of the facility.
The Prichard Intermodal
Facility is in the process of
being developed as a cargo-transfer station along
the Norfolk Southern
Railway.
“With this new allotment of federal funding,
we are really picking
up steam in our efforts
to advance the Prichard
Intermodal Facility and
jumps tart the economy
of this area,” Rahall said.
“The public-private investment between the state,
the federal government
and Norfolk Southern
holds tremendous promise
for diversifying the economy and creating welcome
needed jobs.”
During a session of
Congress, Rahall, as the
top Democrat on the
House Transportation and
Infrastructure Equity Act,
has been actively pursuing
the passage of a multiyear
surface transportation bill
needed to continue with
the building, maintaining
and improving the transportation system.
The
Rahall
Transportation Institute
has been studying the
potential of the Prichard
facility and has successfully launched a webbased survey that is seek-
ing to identify opportunities to improve the economic competitiveness of
regional shippers as well
as the international freight
markets.
The $12 million grant
is provided through DOT’s
2011 fiscal year National
Infrastructure Investments
or TIGER III Discretionary
Grants program.
Several years ago, officials in Wayne County
thought the intermodal
facility project in Prichard
was dead..
Del.
Don
Perdue
(D-Wayne),
who
is
also the director of the
Wayne County Economic
Development Authority,
and Sen. Bob Plymale
(D-Wayne) have also been
working on the project to
get construction started.
Earlier,
the
West
Virginia Division of
Highways awarded a
$6.6 million contract to
Wayne Concrete Co. Inc.,
which is located in the
Prichard Industrial Park,
for the construction of the
Gragston Creek project
which is a bridge that will
lead into the facility from
U.S. 52 or Tolsia Highway,
once it is built.
Plymale stated that
with the commodities flow
throughout the country,
there was no containerization in the southern part of
the area.
Norfolk
Southern
Transportation expressed
interest in helping with the
building of an intermodal
facility.
Plymale said two to
three sites were chosen in
West Virginia but, Prichard
was the best choice for the
facility.
A way to get the facility
moving was the introduction of the double stack
trains.
About $90 million was
earmarked for renovating tunnels so the railcars
could go through with ease,
Plymale said. Around $30
million was to go to West
Virginia, Virginia and Ohio
for the project but with
negotiation, and the fact
that there were more rail
tunnels, West Virginia was
awarded all of the funding
for the project.
He went on to say the
intermodal facility would
be on Norfolk Southern
land and that trains could
go in and out without
interruption to the flow of
traffic.
Both
Perdue
and
Plymale said that there
is an earmark $4 million
from the state in the form
of the amount of diesel
fuel that is used while in
West Virginia, that the
Legislature approved that
says the money cannot be
spent until the Prichard
Intermodal Facility is built.
After the construction is
completed, the money will
go toward other project.
Perdue said that money
has gained interest and is
now at $20 million.
Plymale
said that
150,000 cubic yards of
earth is to be removed
and that the right of way
from the railroad has been
cleared but, there has been
an issue of transfer of
property.
“The
Rahall
Transportation Institute
will be working in partnership with Norfolk
Southern and the Virginia
Port Authority,” Plymale
said. “There will also be
public and private partnerships as well. Norfolk
Southern will be running
the facility with or without
a partner. I have always
believed that this was
going to happen.”
He also said that in the
future, the group will be
looking at how to combine
efforts with the Port of
Huntington and Huntington
Tri-State Airport for shipping goods.
Wa y n e
County
Commissioner Kenneth
Adkins said he would like
to see the improvement
of infrastructure in Wayne
County so as to attract
other industry once work
begins on the intermodal
facility.
“Norfolk Southern is
proud to be a citizen of
Wayne County,” said Dan
Motley, industrial development manager for Norfolk
Southern Corp. “This
is promising economic
development and we are
looking at team support.
This is a huge thing.”
Motley said that once
the facility is completed,
there could be new industry with a lot of opportunity for well-paying jobs.
EDA President Mark
Bradshaw said he was
pleased with the open
communication between
officials and the community.
“Information is not
always forthcoming, however,” Bradshaw said.
“The effort of the EDA,
the Rahall Transportation
Institute and Norfolk
Southern have not waned
and shall not until the
completion of this project.”
Harbor Steel puts new equipment online
By DIANE POTTORFF
Staff Writer
PRICHARD – Getting
pieces of steel ready to use
is one of Harbor Steel of
West Virginia’s mission.
And with its newest
piece of equipment now
is operation, the company
is working to increase its
productivity to get their
customer’s order ready.
During the last few
months, the company has
been working on the installation of a new press break,
according to General
Manager Mark Berry.
Berry said the press was
brought on line by the end
of December.
The press break forms
the steel for a finished
product by bending it, he
said. The machine, built by
Main Cincinnati Equipment
has a 20-foot table with the
capacity to be 20-foot wide
that allows a piece of steel
to be placed on it and bent
to the specifications of the
customer.
The new press break
will add at least four new
jobs within the next year
in Wayne County, he said.
Two employees are currently at the company in
Cincinnati, Ohio, for a
three-day training on the
machine.
“We are wanting to run
it around the clock,” Berry
Said.
Cost of the press break
is about $1 million and
takes up a small portion of
the factory floor.
But, the company also
believes in being a good
neighbor and active within
the community.
Berry said Harbor Steel
is a Partner in Education
with Prichard Elementary
School and has helped the
school with multiple projects.
He said 2011 was the
best year for the company
that has seen a continuous
solid growth.
NEW MACHINE – Employees with Harbor Steel work on the new press break at the company’s location in the
Prichard Industrial Park. WCN photo by Diane Pottorff
“Our sales are up dramatically,” Berry said. “It
looks like 2012 will be on
the same path.”
As prices continue to go
up in the stock market, the
company has been working
to keep up with the demand
and officials are feeling
optimistic about the facility’s future for economic
development.
With strong leadership,
the company enjoys being
a part of the community
and would like to see it
grow.
One way is reinvesting
more money into the company and adding equipment
when needed.
The company employs
21 people at its Prichard
facility.
Zim’s “Innovation in Packaging” not just another catchy phrase
BY RON FERGUSON
Staff Reporter
PRICHARD – Harry
Zimmerman Jr. has come a
long way from his days of
making plastic “pickle bags”
on the back porch.
As a Wayne County
youth in the early 1960s, he
often made those little bags
holding a pickle in the sandwich compartments of area
vending machines.
“It kept the sandwich
from getting wet,” he said
recently.
The days of making those
little pouches on his family’s
back porch on Dock’s Creek
are long gone as a short tour
of Zim’s Bagging attested.
From his office at the
65,000 square-foot-facility
near Prichard, home to the
company his father founded
in 1963, Zimmerman now
oversees a business with 75
or more employees and $15
million a year in sales.
Specializing in what he
calls “value-added” products, his company makes a
lot of “tape bags” with flaps
that open and shut and have
even invented some bags.
So the company’s motto,
“Innovation in Packaging” is
not an empty statement.
Zimmerman displayed
many of the different types
of packages his business
manufactures, from ‘used
printer cartridge’ return bags
measuring a few inches
square, to a sealable bag
large enough to protect
automobile bumpers in shipment.
In addition, Zim’s can
print up to eight colors and
many of this Wayne County
business’s products can be
seen on brands like Sealy,
Simmons and Beautyrest
pillow packages.
Innovation and invention
can only take a company so
far, and Zimmerman readily
admits employees have contributed tremendously to the
success Zim’s has become.
A grandfather several
times over, Zimmerman
insists he would like to quit
and turn the business over
to family, but a twinkle in
his eye belies his enthusiasm
to put multi-million dollar
deals together to prove his
company is at the top of the
plastic packaging innovative
field.
In addition to the 65,000
main building, Zim’s also
has a 23,000 square foot storage facility at the Prichard
Industrial Park.
And, to illustrate some
good things are still happening in Wayne County,
Zimmerman is planning an
8,000 square-foot addition
to his primary location on
Rt. 152.
Zim’s Bagging headquarters boasts a 65,000 sqaure-foot facility, as well as a 23,000
square-foot storage facility at the Prichard Industrial Park. WCN photo by Ron Ferguson
Page 4, The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2012
Okuno making right decisions
BY MICHAEL HUPP
Staff Reporter
PRICHARD – Twelve
years ago a Japanese company was looking for a
place to begin its American
operations.
Luckily for Wayne
C o u n t y,
Okuno
International chose a shell
building in the Prichard
Industrial Center. The
building was sponsored
by HADCO and the
Wayne County Economic
Development Authority
facilitated the deal.
The specialty parts
maker started delivering to
customers in the forklift,
agricultural machinery and
small utility sectors.
“A lot of our parts go to
forklift makers and agricultural assembly such as
tractors,” plant general
manager Maria O’Reilly
said.
O’Reilly
said
the
employees consider their
shop to be a small family – with 45 employees
in a tight knit environment
everyone knows everyone.
Most of those employees
come from the Tri-State
area.
Like many other families
during the tough economic
downturn, the Okuno family had to tighten its belt.
Okuno’s employee base
shrunk to only 15 members who were working
skeleton shifts four days a
week by 2009.
default on an order.
“We have one customer
that requires us to deliver
daily on time. They have
1,000 plus employees that
rely on our parts to do their
job. We are letting down a
lot of people if we do not
deliver a quality product
on time,” O’Reilly said.
Like other area businesses, Okuno is unsure
how the Intermodal Project
in Prichard will affect the
company, hopes are high
that it will help with shipping times and costs to
ensure their product is
priced fair while getting
their in a timely fashion.
“We are unsure how
this will play into Okuno’s
operations, but I believe
it will be advantageous to
the community definitely,”
O’Reilly said. “The direct
INVESTMENT GREAT CHOICE – Okuno International produces cylinders for forklifts, agricultural machinery financial benefit is yet to
and small utility vehicles. A decision to invest in new technology during the economic downturn saved the Prichard be determined but its bearing should be positive for
location. WCN photo by Michael Hupp
the area.”
“We struggled a bit. It new customer and went to the chance Kubota took on dedication to the compaSo what does the future
was definitely some hard work,” O’Reilly said.
us,” O’Reilly said. “They ny’s goal of keeping the hold for Okuno? O’Reilly
times,” O’Reilly said.
Okuno wanted to keep bought the new model we customer happy.
says it is to keep the famDuring a time when its commitment to its developed, it worked and
O’Reilly added Okuno ily growing.
most of its competitors employees and custom- we just kept growing.”
is a “blueprint” company
“I do not think Okuno
were closing their doors ers. Without the gamble,
The growth allowed custom making parts to a could have picked a better
or at least considering it, the company may have production to return to customer’s specific needs. place than Prichard to start
including Okuno itself, the been another casualty of normal five day a week It may take Okuno three its United States operacompany did the unthink- the recession. Instead, the schedule.
to four years of grooming tions,” O’Reilly quipped.
able and invested more new customer Kubota conAlthough the company a customer to get a job, “We are really proud of the
money into the produc- vinced its sister company is still not completely out so consistency and stabil- commitment and effort of
tion.
to purchase parts from of the woods from the hit ity as a company is vital. our employees who have
“We decided to take Okuno as well. The recov- it took in 2009, things She said many of Okuno’s made this all possible.”
a risk and invest into ery was on.
are definitely looking up. competitors are out of the
The residents of Wayne
some new equipment.
“We attribute that recov- O’Reilly also credits the country so it is important County could not agree
We aggressively found a ery to taking the chance and recovery to the employees to stay strong and to never more.
BY MICHAEL HUPP
Staff Reporter
PRICHARD – The
economy hit the automotive sector hard and the
companies associated with
the industry.
A few automakers and
several businesses that
relied on the automotive
business folded. But one
Wayne County business
took advantage and may
have come out a better
company for it.
Allevard-Sogefi
in Prichard was first
envisioned
in
2002.
Allevard-Sogefi adapts in down economy
Construction began on a
factory near the Prichard
Industrial Center and
shipped out their first order
to a customer in 2004.
Originally, the European
Company’s
American
subsidiary produced coil/
suspension springs for the
Home of
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Jeep Liberty, Ford Nitro,
Mercedes Benz M-Class,
Ford Freestyle, Ford,
Flex and Ford 500 vehicles. Then the economy
crashed.
According to plant general manager Troy Thomas,
the automotive industry
was producing more than
16 million vehicles annually between 2002 and
2006. By 2008, that figure
had dropped to 13 million
vehicles and 8.7 million by
2009. That is a 47 percent
reduction in production
within two years.
“That is basically what
happened to everyone
in the automobile industry. They stopped making
vehicles and it absolutely
killed suppliers, Thomas
said. “It caused us to disable some lines.”
Thomas said the hit hurt
the Prichard plant, especially since it was producing springs for small and
mid-sized SUVs and large
cars – two sectors of the
industry that took some of
the hardest hits in sales.
Hard times call for hard
decisions and while most
companies were closing
Sogefi did the unthinkable
– it switched its whole production focus.
In 2009, the plant
switched from coil springs
to automotive filtration
systems such as oil, gas and
diesel fuel filters, investing
nearly $5.5 million into the
plant to convert over to
filtration production.
“The move was a gamble but it is paying off,”
Thomas said.
According to Thomas,
the plant that was once
on the brink of closure
expects to double production throughout the upcoming year. The plant also
plans to possibly employee
as many as 45 additional
employees as production
increases. The additional
hires would put the plants
employment up to 95
employees.
“We are also expecting further growth in 2013
as the automotive industry continues to recover,”
Thomas said.
And that is important
to Wayne County residents looking for employment because Thomas said
the company tries to give
county residents first priority when it comes to production jobs.
“We give Wayne County
production priority. We go
outward for other positions, but we hire from
all over the area for those
positions as well,” Thomas
said.
Thomas said the move
to liquid filtration was an
excellent move for the
company because it is
a growing sector of the
automobile industry. The
company also launched a
complex diesel filtration
system that no one else
produces. How did they
do it?
“Its simple. Sogefi is
a European owned company. Seventy-five percent
of cars in Europe are powered by diesel fuel engines,
which is not as common
in the United States, so
we were able to bring this
unique diesel technology
to America,” Thomas said.
It is a high note for
a company that watched
many of its competitors
close their doors throughout the past several years.
Thomas said the progress has been noted by
ownership and has been
assured their endurance is
paying off despite some
candidly poor results the
first six years of operation.
“The CEO of the company visited the plant along
with then Governor Joe
Manchin. The CEO said he
appreciates the enduring
spirit of the plant and our
employee’s commitment.
In that regard, we are a
bright spot,” Thomas said.
And that enduring spirit
is what has the company
still glad to be in Prichard
with things looking up –
not down.
Since the year 2000, more than 1 million cylinders have shipped from
our North American location in Prichard, West Virginia. A special thanks
to our loyal employees, global customers and reliable suppliers. We are
honored to be apart of Wayne County Pride!
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OKUNO MAKES THE HIGHEST QUALITY CYLINDERS IN THE WORLD!
OKUNO INTERNATIONAL INC.
Prichard Industrial Park, Prichard, West Virginia 25555 USA.
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The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2011, Page 5
All for one and one for all
BY MICHAEL HUPP
Staff Reporter
KENOVA – Sometimes
it’s just better to not go at
things alone.
That is the philosophy
Allied Logistics and LB
Foster of Kenova take.
LB
Foster
made
the move to the Allied
Logistics’ warehouse in
Kenova after LB purchased Por Tec and moved
operations from the West
End. Half of the company
relocated to Kenova while
the other half remained and
formed Kooppers according to LB plant manager
Miguel Celdaron.
The move brought with
it 25 employees all from
the Cabell and Wayne
County areas, with a few
Buckeyes as well.
The company provides
railroad friction management products and rail
securement systems.
“We are always looking to grow, looking for
new products to carry that
will eventually add new
employees,”
Celdaron
said.
In order to do that,
Celdaron said the company is always looking
for markets other than
the railroad industry. The
company also tries to
improve current products.
“We remain mainly customer focused so if customers tell us they need
something we create it for
them,” Celdaron said.
Like LB Foster, other
companies utilize Allied
Logistics warehouse and
commercial space abilities. Allied operates nearly two-and-a-half million
square foot of warehouse
space in multiple cities.
“WE operate facilities
within facilities,” Allied
vice president Mike
Carroll said.
Carroll said part of
Allied’s mission is to continue investing capital into
their facilities. The future
of the Kenova facility will
rely on the future of the
Intermodal Facility due to
the company’s close association with trucking and
shipping.
“We will keep an eye
on its progress. We intend
to have a presence there
of course. If you look at
the other cities that are on
the line, there are a ton of
warehouses with a ton of
people working. We want
to be where the business
is,” Carroll said.
Will that mean the
company will sacrifice its
Kenova location. Not necessarily. Carroll said full
operations may not be at
the Kenova location, but
the Kenova facility will
continue to be a part of
the operations.
“We do sell products
used at the Intermodal
complex so we will see
what happens,” Celdaron
said.
As the picture becomes
clearer in Prichard, so
will the future of Allied
Logistics and LB Foster’s
presence in Kenova. But
for now, they are safe and
sound in their friendly
confines open for business and taking new customers daily.
Allied Logistics is a 3rd party provider of
storage space and warehouse services for a
multitude of companies including LB Foster
at the company’s Kenova location. The company provides railroad friction management products and rail securement systems but other Allied Logistics customers
provide a multitude of goods that serve
many different industries.
“Thank You”
Wayne County
For Your Continued Support!
Jim’s
steak and spaghetti
920 5th Avenue • Our 71st Year • Huntington • 696-9788
HOURS: TUES.-SAT. 11AM TILL 9 PM • CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS
Owned and Operated
by the
Jim Tweel Family
Wayne Welding owner Butch Hill says he is proud to help his employees provide for their families. WCN file photo
for over 74 Years!
Theres no place like home
BY MICHAEL HUPP
Staff Reporter
PRICHARD
–
Sometimes there truly is
no place like home.
Wayne Welding owner
Butch Hill is definitely
a believer. After moving
to the Prichard Industrial
Center in 2007 and keeping his business in Wayne
County, he couldn’t be
happier with his decision.
“We put a new roof on
the building, replaced the
lights, did some repairs on
the outside and a little bit
at a time adds up when you
are investing into a business,” Hill said.
It adds up to about a
$1.5 million dollar investment. Since the move, Hill
lists more machine shop
capabilities, the addition of
a hydraulic cylinder section
working on new or repaired
cylinders and added a new
plasma welder to add to the
burning operation.
“We increased our
forklift repair business as
well,” Hill said.
The investments have
allowed Hill to employ 31
employees, all of which
Hill says he knows each
ones name and face. And
only four of them are nonWayne County residents.
“I try to run a tight ship
around here,” Hill joked.
Most of his business
comes from the coal industry, but some comes from
steel mills, local truck
operators and even jobs
some people might consider too small – the jobs Hill
says he understands may
be hard to find someone to
perform.
“We work with people
on those kinds of jobs to
keep customers happy,”
Hill added.
Hill said he is interested to see what is in the
future for Wayne Welding
with the Intermodal project
beginning just up the road
from his operation. He
says he does not know the
direct effect it will have on
Wayne Welding, but knows
it is good for the area as a
whole.
He said Delegate Don
Perdue has been talking
with the railroad company
to see if there is any work
or spinoff projects Wayne
Welding can become
involved in with the project..
“We are unsure if there
are any services we can
offer them, but if there is
we are here for them,” Hill
said.
Hill said though he is
still happy with his decision to stay even if it was
a gamble at the time, but
reiterates anytime you go
into business it is a gamble.
He says it is important
to keep everything local –
including his employees.
Something Hill says no
matter profits or losses, a
price can’t be put on.
“I am proud that I am
helping people from my
community provide for
their families. These are
really good people and we
couldn’t get it done without them. I truly consider
myself the luckiest man in
Wayne County,” Hill humbly said.
The same humility and
down to earth approach to
business that keeps not only
customers, but employees
coming back.
“Our awning may not be
modest... but our prices are.”
Jim’s has always prided itself on quality and
consistency at affordable prices.
We have been assured that even though
Jim is no longer present, the restaurant will
continue to offer the same friendly service
and quality of food that Jim’s has been
famous for over the years.
Page 6, The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2012
Tractor Supply Store Offers Many Items For Rural Needs
BY RON FERGUSON
Staff Reporter
LAVALETTE – One of
the good things happening
in Wayne County this year
is the opening of Tractor
Supply Company’s new
store at 4942 Rte. 152 in
Lavalette.
Located at the site of
a former furniture store
and play center, the new
retail outlet offers 29,054
square feet of sales display and support service
area. A fenced exterior
space offers a display area
for fencing, sprayers and
livestock equipment and
will employ 11 full and
part-time workers.
Listed on the NASDAQ
Stock Exchange as TSCO,
Tractor Supply has more
than 1,000 stores in 44
states. According to one
equity research firm,
90-95 new stores are
planned for 2012.
Earnings last quarter showed the company
earned $70.5 million, more
than $20 million ahead of
the same quarter in 2010.
This growth was powered
by the sales of pet food
and livestock feed.
Net sales were recorded as $4.3 billion, a 16.3
per cent growth over the
previous year.
The store sells everything from name-brand
boots to lawnmowers and
weed eaters, from welding
machines to car, truck and
tractor batteries, mowing machine knives and
guards to pasture mixes,
air compressors to wheel
barrows and rabbit feed to
equine supplies.
Tractor Supply stores
are situated in small
towns, close to its target
customers who, according
to the research firm, are
recreational farmers and
ranchers. The company
is the largest operator of
such stores in the nation.
A news release by
Tractor Supply says the
store “offers a comprehensive selection of merchandise for the health,
care, growth and containment of horses, livestock
and pets including select
Purina and Nutrena brand
feeds; a broad selection
of agricultural products;
and tools and hardware
selected for our customers’ needs.
“In addition, the company sells light truck
equipment, work clothing
for the entire family and
an extensive line of seasonal products including
lawn and garden power
equipment products.”
“The Stuff You Need
Out Here,” has been the
company’s advertising
slogan for quite some
time.
Founded in 1938 as a
mail order tractor parts
business, the first retail
store opened a year later.
Fortune
magazine
named Tractor Supply to
its list of the 100 fastest growing businesses in
2004, when the company
reported revenues of more
than $1.7 billion.
In late 1966, the company opened its first
Canadian store in London,
Ontario. In 1967, the number of stores there had
grown to 10, and in 2009,
there were 39 corporateowned stores in Ontario,
and two in Manitoba.
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“Thanking the community for their
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4741 US Route 152, Lavalette
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The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2012, Page 7
The Marathon Tank Farm located in
Kenova has more than 85 million barrels
of crude through its tanks annually. That
equals nearly 233,000 barrels daily and
nearly 2 percent of the country’s gas supply. WCN photo by Michael Hupp
Marathon a farm of a different kind
By MICHAEL HUPP
Staff Reporter
KENOVA – It may not
be an agricultural farm in
the traditional sense, but
what it produces helps
fuel farms and the world,
as we know it.
The Marathon Tank
Farm has been a fixture in
the Kenova area since the
1920s with the marine terminal and refinery across
the river in Cattletsburg.
Within those tanks more
than 85 million barrels a
year or 233,000 barrels of
crude daily move through
the refinery and its tanks.
“We are the secondlargest producer in the
Marathon family equating
to about 2 percent of the
United States gas supply,”
Thomas Hearn, engineering manager for Marathon,
said.
In simple terms, the
fuel held in those tanks
fuel basically everything
in this area.
Hearn said to provide
that much fuel, the company has invested $1.2
billion into the facility
with half of that going to
equipment upgrades.
“We continue to invest
in the facility because
it spurs other economic
development in the area,”
human resource manager
Greg Jackson said.
Marathon figures show
that on average nearly
1,000 contractors are
in and out of the facility daily. Jackson said
at times the low point is
about 700 with a peak of
1,500 contractors on site
– setting general employment numbers to the 1,300
to 1,400 job range.
With an employment
base encompassing the
whole Tri-State, Marathon
considers itself a ‘neighbor
of choice” to the Wayne
County community.
“We try to facilitate a
work environment of safety,” Jackson said.
Jackson said part of
being a good neighbor is
creating an environment of
safety within Marathon.
Marathon along with
several other area businesses and 20 community members assemble
monthly for a Community
Advisory Panel to discuss
safety and environmental
issues.
“It keeps us involved
with the community and
gives us a gauge as to
what we need to change
to meet those challenges,”
Jackson said.
The CAP celebrated
its 20th anniversary last
year.
Jackson also added
the plant is certified and
recertified annually in
the Voluntary Protective
Program and are responsible care certified. On top
of the safety, Jackson said
philanthropy is a huge
part of the company philosophy.
“We do a lot of community relations with our
employees participating
with more than 50 nonprofit
organizations,”
Jackson said
With that kind of
crude capacity, attention
to safety and community
involvement, Marathon
definitely proves their
tanks fuel more than just
machines…they fuel the
community.
Pioneer Auto expanding services
PIONEER ENTERPRISES – Lisa
and James Ramey Jr. III are ready
to help their customers at Pioneer
Auto and Friendly’s. WCN photo by
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Diane Pottorff
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By DIANE POTTORFF
Staff Writer
LAVALETTE – About
17 years ago, James Ramey
Jr. III became interested in
the automobile business and
opened his first car lot in
Wayne.
Today, Pioneer Auto has
moved to its new location
in Lavalette – a move that
helped the business double
in size with more than 100
varieties of cars, trucks and
recreational vehicles in
stock.
Customers will be able to
have their vehicles detailed
after areas around the business where filled in with
dirt and soil then compacted
so as not to slip, he said.
Crews had been working on
a detail garage behind the
offices that will offer detailing services while customers
are inside of Friendly’s having a meal.
Ramey said he has been
at the Lavalette location for
more than three years and
within one year, has doubled
in size. Along with the car
lot and detail shop, Ramey
owns Friendly’s which is
a restaurant/bar that serves
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homemade food.
He also said Friendly’s
offers other entertainment
such as West Virginia sports,
PowerBall and video lottery.
Ramey employs 10 people not only in the Lavalette
business area, but in Wayne
as well in a variety of businesses that includes rental
properties of 15 homes and
30 apartments, the Pioneer
Motel and three sports bar
establishments.
Once the detail shop is
completed, Ramey said he
hopes to add one to two
more positions.
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JERRY WILLIAMSON
RONNIE ROSS
It’s Hard To Stop A Trane®
www.trane.com
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ROSS AND WILLIAMSON, INC.
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222 Central Ave.
Wayne, WV 25570
(304) 272-3921
(304) 272-5883 Fax
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Sales - Service - Installation
RESIDENTIAL - COMMERCIAL
Lic. # WV004129
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*ALL PRICES EXCLUDE TAX, TITLE & LIC. FEES. ALL BRAND NEW VEHICLE PRICES ARE AFTER FACTORY, COLLEGE STUDENT, OWNER LOYALTY & FORD CREDIT REBATES, SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. ALL PAYMENTS ARE BASED ON
75 MONTHS @ 3.9% APR WITH APPROVED CREDIT. PICTURES ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY & MAY NOT REPRESENT EXACT VEHICLE. 0% IN LIEU OF FACTORY REBATES ON SELECT VEHICLES. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS.
Page 8, The Wayne County News, Wayne County Pride, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 29, 2012
Construction on new Kenova CVS taking shape
NEW CVS IN KENOVA – Five weeks of site prep for a new CVS Pharmacy
located at the corner of Route 60 and 14th Street in Kenova is almost completed.
Construction on the main building is expected to take five months.
Several homes, sewer lines and old businesses were removed to make way for the
nearly 13,225 square foot building. It will feature retail space, ample parking and a
drive thru pharmacy window. The new construction project, which has been in the
works for years, will replace the currently located CVS in Ceredo Plaza.
Top: Proposed plans for the new CVS. WCN submitted photo
Left: Signage at the construction site has been erected at the corner of Route 60 and
14th Street in Kenova. WCN photo by Ron Ferguson
Blatt family’s roots still strong in agriculture
BY RON FERGUSON
Staff Reporter
LAVALETTE – The
Blatt family has been a
fixture in Wayne County
for years.
Earlier
generations
operated dairies here, but
due to situations beyond
their control, the Blatt
name is now recognized
for flowers and plants,
rather than milk.
Blatt’s Greenhouse in
Lavalette provides the
area growers with all their
garden and landscape
needs, from pots to fertilizer to flowers to garden
plants and seeds.
“We try to be fair with
people,” Mike Blatt said
last week. “Our policy is
‘don’t lie to a customer.”
Somewhat forced into
the nursery business in
1983, when the government attempted to slow
the production of milk
through the elimination of
dairies, the Blatts have
been in Lavalette since
1995.
With help from wife
Carmen, daughter Nikki
and brother Luke, Mike
Blatt has been able to
weather many storms,
not the least of which are
government regulations
and high utility costs.
“When I started everything was so simple,” Blatt
said. “But everything is
changing so fast. It’s hard
to keep up with it, just to
be honest with you.
“The new plants and
the way you have to grow
things now. It’s not the
same.
“We are governed by
everybody,” Blatt continued. “You name it and we
get checked out.
“If we get nursery stock
in, we have to make sure
we have a nursery certificate on the whole load
before we unload it.
“If not, they can come
in and condemn the whole
thing.”
A nursery certificate,
he explained, mean the
items have been inspected
and approved to come into
West Virginia.
Everyone knows that
greenhouses must be kept
The Blatt Family has been in business since 1983 and have been at their
Lavalette location since 1995.
WCN photo by Ron Ferguson
warm, and during hard
winters when poinsettias
are needed, Blatt said gas
bills can run as high as
$8,000-10,000 a month.
“Vegetable
plants,
annual flowers and bedding plants,” have been
the biggest attraction to
local gardeners, Blatt
said.
“We try to raise most
of our own stuff. We have
11 greenhouses up the
road.”
In those greenhouses,
the Blatts raise many different varieties of flowers. They raise their own
tomato plants, preferably
older varieties, and cited
a few:
“We raise Mortgage
Lifters and Brandywines,
the Yellow Jubilee, which
is an old one. The old
ones just have better flavors,” Blatt said.
Blatt’s Greenhouse and
Nursery may not be the
oldest in Wayne County,
but true to the family heritage, agriculture still runs
in the veins of the current
generations.
The employees of Allevard Sogefi USA, Inc. produce the
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ALLEVARD SOGEFI U.S.A., Inc.
1389 Prichard Road, Prichard, West Virginia 25555 - USA
TELsFAX
Harbor Steel is a company with one goal in mind: to be your complete metal service center. Incorporated in 1952, Harbor Steel
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