What’s next for West Virginia? That’s a question that will be posed to community members at meetings across the state in the coming months. The West Virginia Center for Civic Life promotes local dialogue to challenge us to talk about problems and find solutions to better the quality of life here. The center is holding its 18th annual Civic Life Institute at the University of Charleston on June 4 and 5. The institute will train citizens from across the state to hold and facilitate local meetings to find out what’s next for West Virginia. Center director Betty Knighton and Catherine Moore, an Appalachian Transition Fellow assigned to the project, stopped by our studios to talk with West Virginia Morning host Beth Vorhees about the initiative.
Tag: Economic Development
New Committee to Focus on Small Businesses
In his first press conference as Speaker of the state House of Delegates, Speaker Tim Miley announced the intended formation of a new committee in his chamber, the committee on small business, entrepreneurship and economic development.
The committee will be separated from the one already in existence in the House which is focused on the energy industry and labor. Miley said this new committee is important because small businesses are the backbone of future economic growth in the state.
Chaired by Del. Doug Skaff of Kanawha County, Miley said his intention for the committee is to appoint delegates with personal experience as current or previous small business owners.
“I want people who have been there, in the trenches, with that experience on that committee,” he said.
“Those are the people who are there day in and day out when the rubber meets the road trying to determine how they can succeed, how they can employee their employees and how they can make a better life for themselves and their employees.”
Because a new committee can only be established during a legislative session, Miley has established a pre-emptive work group of the committee members. They will travel the state holding forums to discuss the future of small businesses with entrepreneurs.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, House Minority Leader Tim Armstead said it is time to make bold changes to encourage the creation of small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state.
“Job creators and entrepreneurs work hard to grow their businesses and employ hard-working West Virginians,” Armstead said. “They have shared with us innovative and common sense solutions to the problems they face each day and we have worked hard to advance those solutions.”
“We are confident that, if the Democrat leadership truly listens to those who are struggling each day to make their payroll, they will quickly learn of those very basic solutions that have worked successfully in neighboring states and across the country.”
Italian manufacturer bringing 250 jobs to Wayne County
An Italian based automotive parts manufacturer announced plans to more than double the work force of their West Virginia location. Sogefi USA will add 250 jobs to their Wayne County plant as they create a new line of parts for General Motors vehicles.
“Today, thanks to our collaborative efforts and hard work, 250 West Virginians can look forward to good paying new jobs,” Governor Tomblin said as he made the announcement at Sogefi USA’s manufacturing plant in Wayne County Tuesday morning.
A $20 million investment by the Italian company will more than double the plant’s workforce from 160, adding 250 new positions over the next five years
“The 250 jobs we’re talking about are more important than number on a piece of paper,” Tomblin said. “They’re 250 people who will be able to put food on the table, 250 people who will take pride in working for a world class company like Sogefi and they’re 250 West Virginians who will get good paying jobs right here at home.”
Two-hundred and fifty people like Frank Workman, a maintenance technician who started at the Prichard location when they opened in 2004. Workman said Tuesday the added jobs will be good for a county whose unemployment rate sits at more than 6 percent.
“I think this community needs it. There are a lot of people looking for jobs and it’s a great opportunity for the community, this state and all of the people that are involved,” he said.
The manufacturing plant produces automotive parts, including gasoline, diesel and oil filters and cooling modules. Beginning next year, the plant will start producing engine air intake manifolds, creating the need for additional technology and workers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwoNjCczD3U
Sogefi currently employs a variety of personnel at their Prichard location, from the assembly line to warehouses, from accountants to industrial engineers. General Manager Troy Thomas said positions will be added in all departments to handle the increased production.
“Think about this for a moment, over 25 vehicle models that you pass every day on the road are supplied from this plant and that’s soon going to grow,” Thomas said during a press conference at the plant. “So, it’s impossible to miss the product that we produce in this plant.”
Credit Ashton Marra
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The expansion announcement comes after a 13-day investment trip the governor and members of the state Department of Commerce took to Europe in October. There, they met and encouraged businesses to locate or expand their locations in the state, including a private meeting with Sogefi’s CEO Guglielmo Fiocchi in Paris.
Thomas said the international company had planned expansions in North America before meeting with the governor, but his involvement encouraged Sogefi to expand in Wayne County.
“Sogefi’s plan for expansion in North America didn’t necessarily have to be located here in Prichard. There were other states that competed hard for that investment and those jobs, like every state does,” he said, “but obviously we’ve had a good experience here and the governor helped to seal the deal to make sure that Sogefi’s expansion, for this product line, is going to be located here in Prichard.”
“Anytime a company is making that type of announcement, that type of an investment, it shows that they have some faith in West Virginia,” Tomblin said after the announcement. “I think the changes we have made by privatizing worker’s comp, lowering the taxes and so forth, the work force training that we offer in West Virginia is one being noticed.”
Sogefi will begin adding position in January of next year to start producing its newest line of parts for General Motors.