Progress 2018 Edition I

Cracker plant progresses ECONOMIC OUTLOOK/ENERGY

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

PROGRESS I

Plant to eventually provide 600 permanent jobs

Contributed

C o n s t r u c t i o n o f a $ 6 b i l l i o n e t h a n e c r a c k e r f a c i l i t y i n Mo n a c a , P a . , g o t u n d e r w a y l ast fa ll an d th e p la n t w i ll in cl u de a 250- me ga wa tt e l e ctri c p l a nt to p ro v id e i t s p o we r.

From staff reports

MONACA, Pa. — Work progresses on a $6 billion ethane cracker that is generating excitement up and down the Ohio River about future economic possibilities, while a cracker in Belmont County remains on hold, pending a corporate decision.

The Monaca ethane cracker is the work of Shell. According to reports in various news publications, actual construction on structures finally got under way in late fall after more than a year of site preparation work for the huge facility.

Work has included new bridges as well as highway and rail relocation.

Marcellus Drilling News said the plant will include a 250-megawatt electric plant to provide power to

FYI

The cracker is to provide up to 6,000 construction jobs, which have yet to peak, and will be run by about 600 permanent employees, according to a press release from Shell.

the cracker. The power plant will be fed by natural gas from the shale field.

The cracker will use ethane from the Marcellus and Utica shale to produce 1.6 million metric tons of polyethylene, which is used as a feedstock for manufacturing various plastic goods.

The cracker is to provide up to 6,000 construction jobs, which have yet to peak, and will be run by about 600 permanent employees, according to a press release from Shell.

During an update at the Shale Insight conference in

September, shell officials explained an expectation for plastics manufacturing to expand in the region within about three years.

The project will feature seven reactors to “crack” ethane gas by heating it to 1,600 degrees. Polyethylene pellets are part of the output as the gas is separated into various substances.

Similar economic predictions for spinoff business abound for a proposed cracker at Dilles Bottom in Belmont County, where PTT Global Chemical has undertaken site prepara-

tion but not made a final go, no-go decision on its $5 billion project.

Officials with the Thailand-based petrochemical firm said the decision would come in 2017, but the year ended with no announcement. PTT later said it would have more to say in early 2018. A memorandum of understanding was signed by PTT with JobsOhio, the state’s economic development agency in October. A press release regarding the memorandum indicated JobsOhio and PTT would establish a joint community infra-

structure plan “to enhance the well-being and quality of life” for area residents, though local officials remain unclear on what that memorandum actually means.

The PTT project was announced in April 2015 and state officials, including Gov. John Kasich, attended an announcement ceremony in September 2015 regarding the cracker.

PTT has invested $100 million for engineering for the cracker. The former R.E. Burger power plant was demolished and the site cleared. PTT has acquired the site for more than $13 million.

Like Shell, PTT is expected to take about 6,000 people to build with hundreds to be working full-time once a cracker is opened.

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The major economic development story for Eastern Ohio is a collective held breath.

The area continues to await word for the go-ahead from PTT Global Chemical for construction of a $6 billion ethane cracker at Dilles Bottom, a move expected to spur industrial investment up the Ohio River valley from companies that take advantage of the plant’s output.

Ed Looman, Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth project manager for Jefferson, Carroll, Holmes, Coshocton, Harrison, Guernsey and Belmont counties, said much depends on the PTT decision.

“There are several projects that we worked extremely hard upon that are now in a holding pattern,” he said.

Looman said there are some other “nice-sized” projects he hopes will come to fruition in the first or second quarter of 2018.

“The interest level in the region continues to be extremely high from the standpoint of companies looking for sites in our region, particularly river sites, which continue to be generating a lot of interest from companies that are potentially looking to come here, once the PTT decision is finally announced, and with what is transpiring with Shell in Monaca in Beaver County,” Looman said.

Shell is building a $6 billion ethane cracker in Western Pennsylvania that also is anticipated to be an economic engine for the entire region.

Looman said oil and gas pipeline construction picked up during 2017 and is expected to continue to do so as the area catches up with the infrastructure needs to serve the Marcellus and Utica shale gas region.

Looman said one matter that continues from 2017 and previous years is the availability of sites in the region that are immediately ready to serve a firm that wants to locate to the area.

“A lot of our work in 2017 was done on continuing to try to help make available sites more desirable, taking them from where they are as somewhat ready and getting them further up on the ladder to where there are sites ready,” Looman said.

The issue is that companies want to move quickly and the region competes across the nation and

Contributed

T he ne e d f o r e c o n om i c d ev e lo p e r s t o k n o w av a i la b l e pr o pe r t ie s i n t h e i r a r e a w as hi g h l i g ht e d b y t h e m o v e of M P W E n v i r o n m en t a l S e r v i c e s i n t o t he f or m er C ho i c e B r a n ds of O hi o b u il d i ng o f f s t a t e R o ut e 7 , s o u t h o f M i n g o J un c t i o n . T h e i n du s t r i al c l ea n i ng c o m p an y w a s l e as i n g p r op e r t y of f F e r n w o od R oa d a n d w a n t ed t o ex p a nd du r i ng 2 0 1 7 , a n d c o u ld h a v e m ov e d o u t o f th e a re a . H o we v er, E va n Scu r ti, e xe cu ti v e di r ec tor o f th e Je f fe rson C ou n t y P or t A uth o r i ty, an d E d Lo om a n , r e gi on a l p ro jec t m a n age r for t h e A p p a l a c h i a n P a r t n e r s h i p f o r E c o n o m i c G r o w t h , w e r e a b l e t o m a tc h M P W w ith th e p r op e r ty. Jo b s w er e r eta i ne d a n d n ew j o b s w er e a d de d b y MP W.

globally with sites that are ready.

Looman said in the region there are good sites that need environmental remediation or infrastructure or grading of the site.

He said since APEG’s inception in 2011, the agency has been involved in projects that created or retained 7,000 jobs.

“But we’re a victim of our own success. Most of our more desirable sites are gone, which is a good thing, but as we try to grow and attract new industries, the key problem continues to be a lack of sites that are somewhat desirable for job-creating prospects,” he continued.

Jobs Ohio, to which APEG supplies potential projects, has a site redevelopment program with a number of tools available for public or private landowners to use to prepare sites.

“That continues to be a desirable program in the region, where there are so many sites that need that final piece, where the prospect could come in and start to build.

More landowners are starting to look at the program and potentially take advantage of the program,” he said.

As an example of the need of a ready site at the time a company is making decisions about relocation, Looman cited the MPW facility off state Route 7 south of Mingo Junction. Through business contacts, Looman said he and Evan Scurti, executive director of the Jefferson

County Port Authority, were able to match the closing Choice Brands of Ohio warehouse site with the needs of MPW Environmental Services, which was leasing a site off Fernwood Road for its local facility. To expand and grow, the company needed to find a site.

“MPW was possibly leaving the area when Choice Brands came on the market in 2017. They purchased the southernmost building (on the site) and, with state assistance to help with the purchase, jobs were saved, new ones were added and there is nice economic activity south of Mingo Junction,” Looman said. “That fits perfectly into what we have been talking about. If you have a site or building that is attractive to a prospect, you are going to win in this economic development game, by having the

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

inventory you need to match the needs of the prospect.”

If PTT turns thumbs down to its cracker, it will present a blow to economic development efforts that would come with the cracker, but it still means that a major industrial site along the Ohio River has been prepared for some company to use.

“Up and down the river, there has been a lot of progress made in site prep, from Monroe County up into Jefferson County,” Looman said. That includes work at what used to be the Ormet aluminum smelter site at Hannibal (known as the Long Range Terminal site), the cracker site in Belmont County and work done by Chuck Betters, whom Looman said is working diligently to prepare the former WheelingPittsburgh Steel Yorkville plant for re-use. Looman noted the growth in jobs at the River Rail terminal south of Steubenville.

Asked what works in the region’s favor, Looman said, “You hear a lot about work force and issues related to work force, but I have worked with a number of companies in and around Jefferson County who praise the work force here. We still have a willing and available work force.”

And, he said, the area remains prime because of its location with good highways, access to the Ohio River and the railroad network.

“People talk about creating and bringing in jobs. The mechanics are in place to do that. The interest is in place to do that. Having ready sites is the biggest drawback. We have got to have the inventory,” Looman said. “It does us no good to have property to take to market that might be affordable and might be desirable but then the company has to wait six months to get the site ready. They can move on.

“As appealing as this county is to potential job creators, we lose opportunities if we don’t have the inventory,” he said.

Industrial property eyed for development From staff reports

WEIRTON — The more than 100-yearold former steel mill property in Weirton’s north end is slowly being converted into new businesses and future development sites.

A more than $3 million investment into the area was unveiled in 2017, when Bidell

Gas Compression hosted an open house to showcase the renovations undertaken at its new home in the north end of Weirton.

The 100,000-squarefoot building that once housed a steel mill machine shop for Weirton Steel and, later, ArcelorMittal Steel began production of the company’s gas compressor sys-

tems in late 2017.

“We’re ready to do business in Weirton, W.Va.” Dan Martin, vice president of manufacturing for Bidell’s U.S. division, announced at the November ribbon cutting.

Bidell took possession of the property in February 2014 and spent months working to renovate the build-

ing, including the purchase of new cranes and other equipment, constructing work spaces for a variety of jobs, as well as creating office space.

The company soon obtained orders for three compressors for the Mark West facility in Harrison County.

The building had been nonoperational for between eight and

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Bidell fabricates, sells, leases and services natural gas compression equipment.

“That investment alone will single-handedly catalyze the revitalization of the north end of Weirton and the ramifications will spill into Hancock County.

It’s the first new international company that moved into our area in years and that investment is right off state Route 2 and is highly visible,” Pat Ford, executive director of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, said.

Ford said the vision for the future of the northern end of the former Weirton steel mill site sees Bidell as a gateway at the entrance to a massive industrial park on the former mill property,

which will include repurposing some of the old mill buildings across Main Street from Bidell.

“It will catalyze the entire revitalization of the north end of Weirton,” he said.

Martin said many of the gas compressor systems used in the natural gas industry have come from companies in Texas and Oklahoma. He said that will stop with Bidell opening up operations.

“We’re going to build them right here in Weirton,” Martin said.

According to Carol Lotzgeselle, controller for the Weirton facility, more than $3 million has been spent refurbishing the property, with the majority of it spent in the Tri-State Area. Of that, $800,000 was spent in the Northern Panhandle, she said.

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Optimism about the West Virginia Northern Panhandle’s economy shouldn’t be just a feeling shared by economic developers and government and business leaders.

Statistics show the improvement is real: ¯ Realty.com has listed Weirton, including the Brooke and county Hancock areas, as among the top five most affordable counties to live in the United States. Factors going into the designation included housing prices (the average selling price is $90,000), a crime rate that is half the national average and signs of economic recovery. ¯ The annual report of the Associated General Contractors continued in 2017 to rank the area well. In an evaluation of the nation’s 358 metropolitan areas, the area had the largest percentage increase in construction jobs three years ago. In 2017, the area ranked third. The metropolitan area includes Brooke, Hancock and Jefferson counties. In 2017, the area was in the top 5 percent in gains by percentage for construction jobs and the highest in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. ¯ The unemployment rate has fallen to numbers that would indicate near full employment. Going back to 2009, the unemployment rate was 13.3 percent in Brooke County and 13.7 percent in Hancock County. Today, it’s at 5.9 percent.

Pat Ford said the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle has been involved in the creation of 2,407 jobs and preserving 401 jobs since 2009. In addition, there has been $315 million in private investment and nearly $140 million in annual payroll from BDC involvement since 2009.

Ford said the housing numbers, blended with other economic indicators, are an important factor that companies review before making decisions on where to locate new facilities.

He said when housing prices, a low crime rate and the economic factors are in an area that is seeing the potential of $49 billion in regional investment from the ongoing ethane cracker project in Monaca, Pa., to the potential ethane cracker proposed for Dillies Bottom, Ohio, the area is well-positioned to attract business and industry.

To help create an attractive business environment that is competitive with other areas, states and countries, incentives including local, state and federal grants and loans are offered.

Since Ford arrived at

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S om e $ 5 9 4 ,0 0 0 h a s b e en s p e n t o n r e p u r p o s i n g t h e s i t e , w i t h a m a s t e r p l a n a nd v i s i o n s t a t e m e n t .

A g r a nt h a s b e e n o b t a i n e d f o r en v i r on m e n t a l r e m e d i a t i o n , a nd c l e a r a n c e s fo r t h at w o r k a r e p e n d i n g .

BDC in 2009, $34 million in grants and have been loans attracted to Northern Panhandle developments.

The areas of opportunity The BDC targets firms in industrial clusters identified in a master study performed several years ago. The clusters include the energy and shale sector; value-added metals; transportation and logistics; chemicals; and health care. During the past seven years, employment in those sectors in the BDC area has jumped from about 2,500 people to more than 8,000 people.

Marvin Six, BDC assistant director, said, “We don’t intentionally do everything, but people recognize the possibilities and we do things we can to serve the possibilities.”

The BDC has changed its board structure to be more regional and involves mayors from Chester to Beech Bottom and has brought a variety of skill sets. As the area has evolved, Southwestern Energy and Frontier have seats on the board, and WesBanco was added as an additional banking representative.

A rundown of developments during the BDC years since 2009, both public and private includes, starting at the southern end of Brooke County: ¯ The Beech Bottom Industrial Park, in what was a closed steel corrugating factory, has seen nearly $20 million in investment since the BDC acquired the site in 2012.

Occupants include Southwestern Energy, Lineal Industries, Sunoco Logistics, PeBen USA Inc., Precoat Metals, Ally Onsite, the Brooke County Emergency Management Agency, L&M Logistics and Jupiter Aluminum.

Ford noted there are still 100 acres for sale or lease and would serve a petrochemical firm well. ¯ BDC led a master

planning effort at Brooke Hills park that led to $1.29 million in investments, including cabins and a new pool, meeting what the market study showed users wanted there.

The former ¯ Brooke Glass plant in

Wellsburg has seen $594,000 spent in repurposing the site, with a master plan and vision. Work is in the final stages for historic and environmental clearances before remediation site begins. A grant is in

place for the remediation work. ¯ Eagle Manufacturing in Wellsburg has invested and expanded with the BDC aiding in obtaining a U.S. EnvironProtection mental Agency loan for envi-

ronmental assessments for an expansion. That led to $8 million in improvements and an additional $7 million for expansion. The total investment tops $16 See SHARED Page 4 Á

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Shared million, Ford said, leveraged from a $132,000 grant from the U.S. EPA through the BDC. It all adds up to 36 additional jobs, Ford said. ¯ Private investment at American Muscle Docks in Wellsburg by owner Luke DiSerio has led to the company being nominated as a West Virginia Small Business Development Center exporter of the year. Ford said BDC helped in 2012 to transition the company from the former Follansbee Dock Systems, which DiSerio purchased when Follansbee Dock closed. What started with a $630,000 investment has led to a $4 million business with 20 employees. ¯ BDC is working with the Brooke County Board of Education in a management agreement to dispose of the Wellsburg and Follansbee Middle School sites.

“We’ve been able to take advantage of two key assets in Brooke County and put them on the radar of prospects and use our resources within the U.S. EPA to assess and remediate asbestos in the buildings,” Ford said. When students vacate the schools at the end of the school year, there will be a use plan prepared by the West Virginia Brownfield Assistance Center that will allow BDC to hit the ground running to market the property. Ford said since the management agreement was put in place about six months ago, three Ohio firms have expressed interest in turning the schools into housing, a

FYI national firm has discussed relocating its corporate office to Wellsburg and a number of firms from the energy sector have looked at Wellsburg Middle School because of its location on the Ohio River.

Back office firms and retailers are interested in the Follansbee school site, he said. ¯ The BDC acquired the former Follansbee Steel site in 2016.

About $1.4 million has been spent so far on preparing the site for redevelopment. Three letters of intent have been signed.

“We’re excited about the opportunity in 2018 to be able to announce a minimum of one, if not two, national companies moving into that facility. The interest is from industrial, energy and value-added metals companies,” Ford said. He noted Southwestern Energy is leasing the property while the BDC performs its site study and remediation work. ¯ The BDC helped Wheeling-Nisshin Steel to finance the addition of its zinc-aluminum-magnesium coating line in 2012.

The addition allowed the preservation of 175 jobs and the addition of as many as 50 jobs. ¯ The private investment that has been made at the TriModal site in Follans-

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FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

Continued from Page 3

The Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle has been involved in the creation of 2,407 jobs and preserving 401 jobs since 2009. In addition, there has been $315 million in private investment and nearly $140 million in annual payroll from BDC involvement since 2009.

bee by Jim Joseph and Scott Ewusiak gains note by the BDC for what it adds to the area. The 80-acre site is served by NorfolkSouthern rail, has barge access to the Ohio River and access to state Route 2. Ford said the site represents private investment of about $5 million. ¯ The BDC purchased 72 acres of the Three Springs Business Park along Park Drive, from near DeeJays restaurant to the Rue 21 warehouse.

Ford said Eric Frankovitch, Michael Simon, Jason Backel and J.J. Bernabei will remain involved as investment partners.

“We are working with local businessmen and investors instead of relying on people from beyond the area. We have a great model with a lot of national and international investment, but it is exciting to partner with local businessmen and bringing our resources to the site for federal and state funding for infrastructure improvements,” Ford said. The site represents the remaining vacant acreage in the Three Springs Business Park. He said while there is high demand for large sites of 80 to 250 acres, the area has been missing out on smaller lots of 5 to 10 acres, with

30,000to 70,000square-foot buildings.

“It’s an ideal opportunity close to the four-lane (U.S. Route 22) and Pittsburgh International Airport.

When it’s site ready, there will be a handful of these sites ready to meet the niche the market is calling for,” he continued.

The site also will include a conference center, retail, restaurant and hotel uses on about a third of the acreage. ¯ Other major tenants in the Three Springs Business Park continue to thrive, including North American Industrial Services and Barney’s Bakery. ¯ Over at the Half Moon Industrial Park on the Ohio River at Weirton, the Starvaggi terminal has seen growth with the addition of Mississippi Lime. Ford said collectively among Starvaggi and its tenants, there has been an investment of more than $3 million during the past four years.

The 70-acre terminal feeds the energy, value-added metals and chemical industries.

“People don’t realize it, but there is 4,200 feet of river frontage and 3,000 feet of dock there that can handle 72 barges of raw material and finished product. There is a lot of growth possible, bringing product in or out on barges,” Ford said.

Half Moon represents nearly $150 million in assessed property value for Brooke County, including the Centerpoint Terminal tank farm, the Starvaggi terminal, Maple Manufacturing Co. (which took the place of Ball Corp.’s Weirton site and represents a $3.5 million investment and 30 jobs, according to Ford), NEO Industries, Feroleto Steel and Bulldog Rack.

Ford said the mix of tenants at Half Moon shows that while shale and energy are making a major impact, value-added metals remain a part of the economy and firms are coming to the Weirton area because of its metals work force and location on critical transportation networks. ¯ Weirton Medical Center has invested more than $30 million during the past four years and represents a $29 million annual impact on the local market for supplies and goods. About 500 employees have been added during the past six years, bringing employment to almost 1,500, Ford said.

“People need to realize that the $29 million in supplies and services generates additional employ-

ment opportunities.

From WMC’s 1,500 workers, there are 2,655 jobs in total economic impact.

Hancock County ¯ The former Weirton Steel property represents “the stars aligning for us,” Ford said, with Sen. Shelly Capito, RMoore W.Va., moving onto the appropriations committee and having ties to the Department of Commerce at the time that the Frontier Group of Buffalo acquired excess land from Arcelor-Mittal Weirton and the arrival of Weirton City Manager Travis Blosser and Mayor Harold Miller. A $300,000 U.S. Economic Development Authority grant was approved for a master re-use plan for Arcelor-Mittal Weirton’s surplus lands, which went out for bid in January. The plan will be a site-focused version of the 2010 plan that was done for the entire Northern Panhandle, identifying potential uses, buildings to keep, buildings to demolish and identifying ways to attract the targeted users to the sites.

Ford said a conservative estimate is that the purchase of the 1,300 acres by Frontier will represent nearly $1.2 billion in investments in Weirton alone.

Also on former Arcelor-Mittal Weirton property is the reuse of the former machine shop on North Main Street by Bidell Gas Compression, a Canadian firm that put its first international operation in Weirton.

Ford noted that between Bidell and Pietro Fiorentini, which is building its first North American operation at the Three Springs Industrial Park, $15 million is being invested internationally.

“That should not be lost on anybody. Those companies could have gone anywhere and they chose Weirton for its reliable and dependable work force, available real estate and packages from the feds, state, Weirton, the county and the BDC. Everybody had skin in that to make those deals happen and now they serve as a template to attract more investment in the future,” Ford said. ¯ At Williams Country Club, Ford said owner James Markovitz has been investing and the BDC has partnered to help obtain funds to remediate environmental contaminants in some buildings that are being repurposed.

Ford noted the club has more than 50 employees and the rounds of golf played

there annually contribute $2.5 million to the local economy, in addition to charitable events there that genmore than erate $500,000 a year.

“Some $50 million of the $315 million in investments in the area is in the hot spots in Weirton — the Three Springs Business Park, the Village at Colliers Way, Three Springs Crossing, Half Moon and Arcelor-Mittal. Those are five dynamic areas that can accommodate any use imaginable in addition to the five specific targeted industry clusters.

Six noted that there is a backfill effect from other economic sectors, such as hospitality, retail and office space, when the focus is successful on the five specific clusters.

Ford noted the $315 million figure is only from the targeted clusters. He said no one actively recruits fastfood or retailers, for example, but those kinds of businesses are always on the lookout for opportunity and, when the numbers in an area meet their thresholds, they build and invest.

Six said another example of economic backfill is that housing was at zero new investment in 2009, but now there is a condo development being built at the former Pleasant Valley Country Club. ¯ Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort continues to evolve and Ford noted it still employs more than 1,000 people and has paid more than $100 million in taxes since 2014. Former CEO Ted Arneault now is working to market 1,300 acres of surplus Mountaineer real estate and it’s attracting attention of domestic and international petrochemical firms.

The area has access to river, rail and state Route 2. ¯ Ergon continues its growth, with more than 200 employees, an investment of more than $100 million in the facility since 2012 and added capacity. ¯ The former Newell Porcelain site is being prepared for a spinoff from recent industrial developments in the area. ¯ The former TS&T Pottery site has interest from all five of the targeted industry clusters. The site represents the first of BDC’s brownfield redevelopment efforts.

“We’ve built a lot of relationships with the community. We want to be sure — it’s a very small site nestled in a neighborhood — that we find the right tenant or buyer, to put in what we think might be the best fit for Chester and Hancock County. To date, $3.1 million has been spent, including $2 million on the building and the rest for site acquisition, remediation and site prep,” Ford explained. The building is a 30,000-squarefoot industrial structure.

Fellows Insurance continues tradition OPENS IN FEBRUARY

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

From staff reports

MINGO JUNCTION — As a fourth-generation family business, Fellows Insurance Agency Inc. at 568 county Road 19 continues its strong tradition of offering sales and service experience to its customers throughout the TriState Area.

Fellows Insurance Agency welcomed its fourth-generation involvement in 2000 when Dean C. Fellows joined the business founded more than 80 years ago by his greatgrandfather, Charles R. Fellows.

When Dean C. Fellows joined the Mingo

COLLIERS — Located at 1118 Petrillo Road and near U.S. Route 22, Weirton and Steubenville, the Brooke County Landfill is a state-of-the-art disposal site for a wide range of residential commercial and waste, including oil and gas related waste.

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was incorporated and in recent years was singled out as the best insurance agency in the Herald-Star’s and The Weirton Daily Readers’ Times’ Choice awards.

The staff at Fellows Insurance Agency boasts more than 100 years of combined sales and service experience and stands

guished itself in 2016 by earning the prestigious Senior Partner Award presented by Grange Mutual Casualty Co., the agency’s primary market, for the 29th time. The achievement is based on performance, production, profitability and quality customer service.

In 1973, the agency

Junction business, he not only followed in the footsteps of his father, C. Dean Fellows, but also his grandfather, Charles L. Fellows, and his great-grandfather.

“I am very pleased and proud to have my son involved with this company,” said C. Dean Fellows, who became a licensed insurance agent in 1971 and acquired full ownership of the business in 1998.

“We are thankful and appreciative of the opportunity to serve our many policy holders. We have truly been blessed,” he stated.

The agency distin-

ready to help customers with the best coverage to meet their needs.

That staff, aside from Dean Fellows and his son, includes customer service agent Marsha Kamerer who joined the agency in July 1974; customer service agent Debby Hauck, who joined the agency

in August 1982; and Becky DeChristopher, bookkeeper and computer network administrator since June 1983.

The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

To reach Fellows Insurance Agency, call (740) 598-4114, (740) 283-3338 or (888) 4-FELLOWS.

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J.P. Mascaro & Sons has made recycling a See FACILITY Page 7 Á

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Port authority preparing for development OPENING SOON

6

By DAVE GOSSETT Staff writer

STEUBENVILLE — The Jefferson County Port Authority has started its sixth year as the lead local economic development agency, and Executive Director Evan Scurti is confident the future has strong potential.

“The port authority is taking a very comprehensive approach to economic development and is serving as the leader in commercial and industrial development initiatives that will allow existing firms to grow as well as allow the county to attract employment quality opportunities for all of our citizens,” stated Scurti.

“We are taking a very proactive approach to development. There are a number of potential properties that are excellent sites for development.

Some may need some preliminary work, but we have great potential in Jefferson County, and the port authority is ready to help in any way we can,” continued Scurti.

“A lot of work this year

Dave Gossett

J e f f e rs o n C o u n t y P o r t A u t h o r i t y E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r E v a n S c u r t i r e v i e w e d t he n o t es o n h is go al s a n d p l an s fo r 2018 du ri n g a n i n te r v ie w w ith t h e H e r al d - S t ar.

will be working through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant we share with the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle.

We also hope to increase our public/private partnerships for future devel-

opments,” said Scurti.

He recently hired a new assistant, Rocco Polumbo, a graduate student at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

“That is another resource avenue we need to explore. There is a lot of

experience and knowledge at Eastern Gateway Community College that we should be tapping into,” added Scurti.

“The Jefferson County Industrial Park is still a key part of our plans. And it can be more competitive

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

if we can address the wetlands issue there. That is 26 acres of property that can be made available for development,” noted Scurti.

“Our No. 1 goal in 2018 will be the port authority’s role in land improvement That will strategies. include strategic acquisitions by the authority funded through public or nonprofit grants. We want to re-position certain areas for light industrial or back office investments to better align with current community demographics and opportunities to attract new companies and investment. And we want to target land improvement updates to the nation’s leading consultants and real estate agents,” Scurti explained.

“We will also focus on putting together a business and expansion forum.

We want existing businesses to stay here and to grow,” he said.

“We have a long range goal of developing a stronger local tool kit of incentive programs and

Area gas-powered plant is now operational

By TOM GIAMBRONI Staff writer

The sister plant to the natural gas-powered electric plant to built outside be Wellsville is open for business.

Advance Power announced recently its 700-megawatt Carroll County Energy plant outside Carrollton is operating and capable of gener-

FYI

ating enough electricity for 750,000 homes.

The Boston-based company announced in July 2013 it was going to build an

See DEVELOPMENT Page 10 Á

The 700-megawatt Carroll County Energy plant outside Carrollton is operating and capable of generating enough electricity for 750,000 homes.

electric plant powered by natural gas near Carrollton.

Approximately $899 million in financing was secured by April 2015, with construc-

tion beginning the same year.

The plant is operated by EthosEnergy and employs 22 workers.

Power Advance

also is planning to build a $1.1 billion gas-powered electric plant just north of Wellsville — a 1,150 megawatt facility known as South Field Energy capable of providing electricity to more than a million homes.

“Advanced Power continues to work on development of the South Field Energy combined-cycle natural gas electric generation facility near Wellsville, Ohio,” project Manager Zac Gordon said in a news release. “Since our announcement of South Field Energy in October 2015, all permitting has been approved and the project has moved forward to the point where we expect to break ground sometime in the first half of 2018.”

Construction of

South Field is expected to take more than two years and generate 500 construction jobs and result in 25 to 30 permanent jobs.

The plant is to occupy 86 of 150 acres off Hibbetts Mill Road in Yellow Creek Township, with the rest serving as a buffer. An electric transfer station is to be built about 3 miles to the west at the corner of Osbourne and McCormick Run roads in Madison Township in Columbiana County.

Last year, Columbiana County commissioners approved an agreement in which Advanced Energy agreed to pay the Wellsville school district $24.2 million and Yellow Creek Township trustees $5.4 million over the next 15 years in exchange for property tax abatements for the plant.

This is comparable to the deal the Carrollton school district received in exchange for full yearly tax payments.

Steubenville Truck Center ups its product lines From staff reports

Pytash Tractor Sales 8003 State Hwy 213 • Toronto, Ohio 43964

740-544-5620

STEUBENVILLE — Local company Steubenville Truck Center and its third generation owner, Larry Remp, are celebrating the businesses’ 66th anniversary this year, since having opened in 1952.

Steubenville Truck Center is a Volvo and Cummins dealer that sells new heavy-duty Volvo trucks and all makes of used medi-

um or heavy-duty trucks. The company recently has taken on the franchise of Western snow plows and Buyers Salt Dog salt spreaders and product lines. It also has taken on the Michelin, BF Goodrich and Uniroyal tire lines and now does computer spin balancing of tires, along with complete tractor and trailer alignments.

Steubenville Truck See TRUCK Page 7 Á

COMING SOON!

Vulcraft remains a strong player in steel FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

From staff reports

CHEMUNG, N.Y. — Vulcraft is a subsidiary of Nucor Corp., which is the largest and most diversified steel and steel products company in the world.

The company is the largest joist and deck producer, the largest steel producer and largest metal building producer in the U.S., according to officials, and is the largest recycler of steel in North America.

Company officials reported safety is a top priority for every Nucor/Vulcraft teammate. Nothing is more

Truck

Center and its 17 experienced technicians (two of whom are master technicians) work on all makes of medium and heavy duty diesel trucks, including Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar, Isuzu, Duramax, Ford, Paccar and M e r c e d e s .

Steubenville Truck Center carries an extensive inventory and has 26 repair bays to get any job done in the tightest time

Facility

major goal and opened a 75,000-square-foot state-of-the-art recycling facility in Berks County, Pa., and offers recycling education programs to schools.

But not all waste can be recycled, so its landfills are designed to contain waste in a safe, environmentally responsible manner.

The landfills feature: ¯ Double synthetic liners, used to prevent trash from seeping into the ground and to keep scavenger pests out. ¯ Modern leachate collection and treatment systems, to remove and properly dispose of wastewater from the landfills. ¯ Environmental monitoring systems, to promptly detect releases to the air and water; and on-site management by the

TThere’ herre’s a new home h for for primary Wintersville pr rimarry ccare arre in W inttersville

important, according to company officials.

Safety is addressed at the start of virtually every shift worked, every meeting conducted and every report published.

Every division has dedicated safety teams continuously working to evaluate and improve its standards and performance, according to officials. company And every one of the company’s facilities is regularly audited for safety performance.

There is a sales/engineering office in Wheeling for the company’s com-

WINTERSVILLE ERSVILLE

plex composite decking. The team in Wheeling is composed of sales representatives, detailers, sales engineers and project managers. Projects that have used the decking include the World Trade Center Tower 3, Minnesota

Vikings Multi-Purpose Stadium, DayInternational tona Speedway and the Detroit Red Wings Event Center.

The decking is manufactured in various Verco/Vulcraft plants across the country depending on

fits along with job security. Nucor firmly believes that its greatest competitive advantage is its culture, which is made up of its teammates.

Working for Nucor is a great career opportunity, according to company officials.

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Alignments • Brakes • Suspension • Oil Changes • Tire Repair

Continued from Page 5

industry’s top engineers.

J.P. Mascaro & Sons also operates a waste hauling service with a fleet of distinctive red trucks bearing an image of the company’s blue elephant mascot.

The company’s owners and staff take pride in providing quality service at affordable prices and in addition to regular curbside trash collection, crews are available, when given 24hour notice, to pick up furniture, appliances and other bulky items.

For information about the landfill, call (304) 748-0014 and for information about pickup services, call (304) 748-0085. Information also can be found at the company’s website at www.jpmascaro.com/s ervices.

where the customer is located. The company has plants in California, Arizona, Utah, Nebraska, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina and New York.

Nucor/Vulcraft officials stated the company offers competitive pay and bene-

SERVICE

Continued from Page 6

frame. If not in stock, most parts can be ordered overnight for repairs.

The business also services trucks for the oil and gas industry.

Steubenville Truck Center is located at 620 South St. in downtown Steubenville.

Stop by to visit the friendly office cat, Mr. Finnigan, who is there to greet any customers who would like to say hi.

7

Service after the sale counts!

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Hillside work and road improvements nearly complete says ODOT

8

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

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By MARK LAW Staff writer

Contributed

P e t e r I n g r a h a m o f G o l d e r A s s o c i a te s o f We x f o r d , P a . , s t a nd s on a bo u l de r t h a t f e l l f r om t h e hi l l s id e i n t h e e x c a va t i o n ar e a a lo n g s t a t e R o ut e 7 i n t h e Ru s h R u n a r e a . T he O h io De p ar tmen t of Tra n spo r tati o n hi r ed Go l de r A ss o ci ate s to ai d i n r emo v i ng th e bo u l de r, w h i c h w i l l b e b l o w n a p a r t th i s m o n t h .

Eyed

to invest locally in operations.

The Weirton site will serve as the company’s U.S. headquarters.

Ford said the Bidell project to establish its first international location in the former Weirton Steel machine shop on North Main Street, represents the BDC’s business model.

“What was required to do that deal was to first have site control, and we had to have liquid capital for site readiness, resources to close the deal — money was needed for closing costs, for due diligence and a state

STEUBENVILLE — Motorists this summer finally may see the end of more than $78 million in work to remove large sections of the hillside above state Route 7 in the Brilliant and Rush Run areas.

The re-design of the state Route 7 at the intersection with University Boulevard to improve access to the Veterans Memorial Bridge also is set to be finished at the end of the summer.

Work is continuing on two of the three hillside projects on state Route 7 between Rush Run and north of Brilliant. Excavation of the hillside is complete but there is a problem with the pending removal of a large section of rock that fell in the Rush Run work

area.

Nick Susich, an Ohio Department of Transportation District 11 engineer, said a blasting plan is being developed.

A ramp has been built up to the boulder, estimated at 50-60 feet high, 10-15 feet thick and about 125 feet wide.

The boulder fell on Aug. 22, a week after ODOT reopened one southbound lane and eliminated the crossover of southbound traffic into the northbound lane.

Susich said the boulder will be exploded in one or two shots this month. He said the highway will be closed for a brief period when the explosions controlled occur.

The smaller sections of the boulder will be and then removed, ODOT will re-evaluate the slope of the hillside

where the boulder fell and if additional work is needed, Susich said.

“We consider the spot an anomaly in the way the rock structure comes together there,” he said.

Susich said the four lanes of state Route 7 in the area will be reopened because work on the hillside can continue with the lanes reopened. ODOT then will work to repave the southbound lanes, with work expected to be completed in July.

The hillside excavation at the north end of Brilliant, involving the removal of 2.8 million cubic yards of dirt and rock, has been completed. A 50-inch high concrete barrier will be constructed along the edge of the southbound lanes.

Reconstruction of the See COMPLETE Page 10 Á

Continued from Page 2

partner to incentivize the deal,” Ford said.

Because of what Ford terms “a short ladder to reach the decision makers” from the state and federal level to financing, the deal was closed within weeks.

“We were able to lock down the building, $4 million in financing, $50,000 in environmental assessment loans and to be able to illustrate that we have the work force to accommodate their needs, with an international company, within weeks,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former steel works prop-

erties that once dominated the city’s north end are changing, as workers are slowly and demolishing removing the steel mill facilities.

Bryce Custer, who represents Buffalo, N.Y.-based Frontier Industrial as a petrochemical and energy services specialist working in West Virginia and Ohio, said there are 1,300 acres available, but only about 300 of which are contiguous.

The Weirton Steel open hearth, Sinter Plant and most of the coke plant operations were demolished and

removed by Weirton Steel.

Since Frontier bought the industrial property, the four blast furnaces have been taken down and the basic oxygen plant is slowly being dismantled.

“We really envision the Weirton facility as being a growth facility for multiple companies,” he said. “And,

that includes Browns Island,” which is positioned in the middle of the river, just north of Weirton’s Half Moon Industrial Park.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the soil on the island — which housed Weirton Steel’s coke plant until 1982 — is contaminated with benzene, toluene, xylene and cyanide.

Custer said officials believe so strongly in the property that they commissioned a study regarding the feasibility of connecting it to Ohio via railroad bridge.

“When things take off here, people are going to be looking for sites. We are working as quickly as we can to get ready for it,” Custer added.

Dave Gossett

T h e f o ur b la s t f ur n a c e s t h at o ne h i g h l ig h t e d t h e n o r t h e n d o f We i r t o n a r e n o w g o n e a s F r o n t i e r I n d u s t r i a l p r e p ar e s t h e p r o p er t y f o r f ut u r e de v e lo p m en t .

DETAILER (DRAFTSPERSON) Vulcraft of New York, Inc. is a subsidiary of Nucor Corporation, the nation’s largest steel and steel products manufacturer and largest recycler of steel. Vulcraft-CCG in Wheeling, WV is seeking qualified candidates for the position of detailer. We offer competitive pay and benefits.

BASIC FUNCTIONS: detailer (draftsperson) is responsible for preparing Setting Plans and Bills of Materials according to project specifications and product requirements using CAD-based software.

Detailers must be able to read and interpret structural and architectural drawings, specifications, and design requirements related to Steel Joists and Steel Deck. He/she must be able to apply this information to the preparation of approval submittal drawings, coordination of information between Vulcraft and our customer, and preparation of final drawings and bills of materials for release to production with all information necessary for correct product design and manufacture.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. (Nucor will not sponsor the need for a visa now or in the future) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: • High School graduate, w/interest in Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) PREFERENCES: • 2-year Associates Degree in Computer Aided Drafting • 4-year degree in Architectural or Engineering Technology • Prior Steel Joist and Steel Deck detailing experience • Prior experience in the construction or manufacturing industry Anyone interested in this position should submit an application no later than 2/10/18 Application will be received on-line at https://careers.nucor.com/ Nucor/Vulcraft is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disabled/Vet and Drug Free Workplace

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Douglas B. Finton Director

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Complete southbound lanes will begin in the spring, with paving expected to be completed in July, Susich noted.

The middle project was completed during the summer of 2015. It is located south of Brilliant.

Beaver Excavating of Canton removed 2 million cubic yards of dirt and rock.

The total cost for the three excavations is $68 million.

ODOT also is realigning the state Route 7 access to the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The $10 million project is about 55

FYI percent complete.

Two turning lanes will be installed turning onto University Boulevard from both the northbound and southbound lanes of state Route 7.

The single turning lane from northbound state Route 7 onto University Boulevard has been a problem from

Our New BreastCare Center together with All About Women Upscale women’s care you won’t find anywhere else in Weirton-Steubenville Route 22/30 Corridor.

FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 2018

Continued from Page 8

Motorists this summer finally may see the end of more than $78 million in work to remove large sections of the hillside above state Route 7 in the Brilliant and Rush Run areas. The re-design of the state Route 7 at the intersection with University Boulevard to improve access to the Veterans Memorial Bridge also is set to be finished at the end of the summer. years, as a truck turning left onto University Boulevard can take the entire traffic-light time allotted for turning left, officials said.

When completed, there will be two turning lanes onto University Boulevard and two lanes entering the bridge.

Shelley & Sands Inc.

of Rayland, the contractor for the job, is two reconstructing southbound lanes of the highway. Susich said crews will reconstruct the northbound lanes once the weather breaks in the spring. reported ODOT there have been some delays in the project,

especially with dealing with the railroad bridge abutments.

Susich noted the completion of the work is dependent on a new railroad crossing, south of the existing crossing. A traffic signal will be installed to allow southbound traffic to turn into the railroad crossing.

Development

availability of capital expense funds. In 2015, the board of directors created a reserve capital fund for future building and infrastructure projects and has placed already $250,000 into that fund,� Scurti said. “In my view, the near future represents one of the most eras of exciting opportunity in the Ohio Valley in decades. Our county is continuing to redefine itself as an area that can provide a foundation for 21st logistics, century manufacturing growth and worldrenowned higher education. If the multibillion ethanol cracker facilities become a reality, we have an amazing opportunity for growth,� said

Susich said a timely finish of the project depends on the completion of the railroad crossing.

Susich said all work is scheduled to be completed in late summer.

ODOT also completed a $1.2 million deck replacement last summer on the Lawson Avenue bridge, going over the Washington Street hill, which also is designated as state Route 43.

And ODOT is planning to repave about 4 miles of state Route 7 from Tiltonsville north this summer.

Continued from Page 6

Scurti. “My job as executive director is multiWe are faceted. always looking for prospects for available properties in Jefferson County and trying to put people together with the potential sites. We also manage the Jefferson County Industrial Park for the county commissioners,� Scurti explained. “The port authority looks forward to ongoing partnerships with the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle to not only redevelop potentially contaminated lands, but also to creatively market our river valley together. While economic development is often very competitive among the states, it makes great sense

for the port and BDC to pool resources and market our valley region to national and international decision-makers,�said Scurti. “I want to be a catalyst for development and for attracting good jobs to our community. I have always viewed Steubenville as its own economic driver. There is plenty of room in Jefferson County for quality employers and businesses. I don’t particularly want to be considered as a bedroom community of Pittsburgh. I believe Jefferson County has a great atmosphere for economic development. Every county is unique in its own way but I feel I can develop goals for development in Jefferson County,� Scurti said.

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Brooke County Sanitary Landfill 1118 Petrillo Rd., Colliers, WV 26035

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The following is a copy of our facility’s “Free Day Policy�.

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