Chemical Plant Expected to Bring 60 Jobs to Kanawha County

A chemical manufacturing startup is planning to build a methanol production facility in Kanawha County next year.

  Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced Tuesday that California-based US Methanol will move a production facility to Institute and create more than 60 permanent positions when the plant begins operations in July 2017.

CEO Brad Gunn says his company plans to deconstruct a methanol plant in Brazil and install it next to the Dow-DuPont chemical plant. Officials say the facility would also create about 300 temporary construction positions beginning in November.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the plant will use a chemical process to turn methane into pure methanol, a base solution used in paints, plastics, windshield washer fluid and other chemicals, such as formaldehyde.