FAIRMONT - Another tenant is moving into the Marion Regional Business Park. The Marion Regional Development Corp., which owns the park, held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday Sept. 21st for FK Everest Inc., an electrical contractor that specializes in industrial and commercial work. Mike Martin, Rodney Blosser and Ryan Eddy are the owners.
Martin, president of FK Everst, said the company bought 2.2 acres in the park for its future 9,900 square foot facility, which Chisler Inc is building. A third of the structure will be used for offices and the rest will serve as shop space. He expects to see the project complete and FK Everest moving into the building by late Decemeber.
The company started in 1924 has expanded over the years and has outgrown its curent space on Locust Avenue in Fairmont. Breaking ground on a brand new complex is a great way to celebrate the company's 85th year in business Martin said. "We're really looking forward to this", he said. Martin said FK Everest does work across North Central West Virginia, which makes access to the interstate very important. The business generally has an average of about 50 employees but can reach around 100 during peak times. Blosser, estimate/project manager for the company said FK Everest is all about the people and thanked the employees for their hard work. Eddy, vice president, added that the business has been successful because of its workers, who are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
"It takes a lot of ingredients to make a successful project," Nick Fantasia, MRDC president said. He thanked delegates Mike Caputo, Linda Longstreth and Tim Manchin, Congressman Alan Mollohan, Sen Roman Prezioso and Gov. Joe Manchin's office for the funding support.
Dr. Pepper Snapple Bottling Group, previously known as Cadbury Schwepps was the first company to locate at the Marion Regional Business Park, which is te former Eldora Drag Strip. Many entities have played a part in the progress that have taken place since then, Fantasia said. "This park is certainly a shared success for this community." he said.
Fantasia said the MRDC is currently working with two customers on obtaining sites at the park for spec builldings. The organization will close on one of the properties by the end of the quarter and hopesto finalize the other before the year is up. The MRDC will also continue pursuing future site development.
"This is a wonderful place out here" Marion County Commission President Randy Elliot said. He said FK Everest has been an important business in Marion County and North Central West Virginia and has made a positive impact on the community. Elliot read a proclamation from the commission declaring Sept 21st, 2009 as FK Everest Day.
Fairmont Mayor Matt Delligatti welcomed the company to the Marion Regional Business park and extended his best wishes for its new home.
Lockheed Martin has recently opened a center in the I-79 High-Technology Corridor for collaboration in biometrics. The 6,000 square foot facility will employ up to 10 people and serve as a biometric research and development laboratory. The center will also serve as the hub for the collaboration of local academic and industry partners and Lockheed’s global biometrics network.
(Source: The State Journal, May 25-31, 2007)
Fairmont General Hospital is planning to build a healthplex next to the Fairfield Inn near the Middletown Mall. The Fairmont General HealthPlex is a $13 million, two-building project. One building will house four physician offices, physical and occupational therapy service, some lab and radiology sites and a pharmacy. The other building, which is slated for a September 2008, opening will be an upscale, two-story, high-tech fitness center. The fitness center will combine medicine with services aimed at helping the members achieve a healthier lifestyle. The center will offer more concierge- type services along with a free daycare for paying members. The square footage of the two buildings will be 40,000-50,000 feet.
(Source: Times West Virginian, May 26, 2007)
NEW BOLD Enterprises, Inc. located in Fairmont, WV will be adding 50 new jobs in order to support Northup Grumman Corp. with a recently announced $75 million Department of Defense contract. The contract is for work on an integrated military and civilian biometric identification system. NEW-BOLD is one of several firms working with Grumman on the contract.
(Source: Southern Business and Development)
Developments:
Northrop Grumman Corporation has made plans to build its new technology center within the I-79 High Tech Corridor hiring fifty full time employees.
Northrop Grumman, a $30 billion international defense and technology industry, works with biometrics and develops satellites, military aircrafts and ships, and advanced electronic systems, explains President and CEO Wes Bush. The initial 50 hires would provide careers for software, network, system, and database engineers, with more jobs to follow. The company currently boasts more than 120,000 employees across the United States and in 25 countries.
West Virginia will join South Dakota, Montana, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, which currently serve as a location for these centers. This approach is different from the business norm of 'offshoring', or acquiring work outside the border for cheaper prices. These areas appeal to Bush because of their smaller communities, they are attractive places to live, there are available qualified workers, and nearby universities. While the company would be in West Virginia, projects would come from all across the country. Bush said, "It's an opportunity for a local career with a national reach."
Governor Joe Manchin recognized two Marion County businesses for their efforts in exporting into new markets around the globe. Innovative Response Technologies and ProLogic Inc, both of Fairmont, received the Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry. The award was given to company officials of the 40 companies recognized.
(Source: The State Journal)
Stickley Corporation recently celebrated 60 years of doing business. Calvin William Stickley started the grading, asphalt and concrete business in 1947, which is located on 69 Middletown Road along Route 73 South. The company celebrated with a picnic for its employees.
(Source: Times West Virginian, Sunday, October 7, 2007)
Approximately 900 seventh grade students from area schools participated in an event known as “Day in the Park” sponsored by NASA. The event is an outreach that aims to get children interested in math and science. It exposes the children to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
(Source: Times West Virginian, Saturday, September 29, 2007)
The State Journal recently reported on the growth taking place in Fairmont. The article noted Cadbury Schwepps has begun construction on a distribution center at the new Marion Regional Business Park. Kenny Construction, an engineering firm from Chicago, will also be relocating to the Veteran’s Square building in the heart of downtown. The engineering firm will be working on the Allegheny Energy Inc. transmission line. The city hopes to become a recreation destination, as a niche juxtaposed against Morgantown and Bridgeport. Waterworks LLC is developing the old Sharon Steele Corp. site into a water park complex, complete with a hotel conference center and semi-pro baseball field. The city is working on redeveloping the riverfront, Palatine Park, into a place for festivals and recreation.
(Source: The State Journal)
The INNOVA Commercialization Group, an initiative of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, will invest in South Charleston-based MSS Performance, a company started by optometrist Gregory Moore and known for its I-ON Eye Trainer. The I-ON, is a specialized pair of training glasses that helps baseball players track the ball and improve their hitting skills. INNOVA has always been a product-based investment company and will help MSS Performance with investment, a business plan, a new Web site, exposure and finding local businesses to perform tasks that MSS Strategies currently out sources. INNOVA was looking for someone to be a good example of a West Virginia business in the early stages to reflect the resources West Virginia has to offer.
(Source: The State Journal, May 25-31, 2007)
Fairmont State University is the world’s leading donor of computing cycles to the Global Grid Exchange with the West Virginia High Technology Consortium. The Global Grid Exchange aggregates the unused capacity of Internet-connected computers-from PCs to mainframes all around the world. It is the world’s largest open public grid computing platform. It allows researchers in business, government and academia secure and safe access, directly from their desktops, to supercomputing resources, at a price far below that which is required to buy or build traditional supercomputing resources. FSU estimates that since they have begun sharing service with the Global Grid Exchange, they have provided $9 million worth of computer resources for academic research.
(Source: www.wvhtf.org)
Fairmont State University is also working in conjunction with the Institute for Scientific Research (ISR), the EdVenture Group and nine central West Virginia School Districts on a project for the Comprehensive Information Technology Education in Rural Appalachia (CRITERA). The project received a sizable grant in the amount of $877,000, and provides information technology education to seventh through ninth grade students and teachers.
Building on the success of CRITERA Fairmont State teamed up again with ISR and Pierpont Community and Technical College in implementing the Expanding Pathways for Educational Development and Information Technology Experiences (ExPEDITE) project. The project received a two year $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to provide students educational pathways and resources to prepare them for careers in Information Technology.
(Source: www.wvhtf.org)
Fairmont State University is also working to expand their research capacity in computer science and information systems to align with the needs of the NASA IV&V center in Fairmont. FSU is also a partner in a five year National Institutes of Health IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) grant, where they receive $350,000 annually to support research in Biology, Chemistry and Geoscience.
(Source: www.wvhtf.org)
Fairmont State University has recently completed expansion projects that include: 2005 Parking Garage - $10,552,093.97; 2006 Bryant Place - $12,603,799.00; 2006 Falcon Center - $23,486,047.63; Projected 2007 Engineering Technology - $14,000,000.00
West Virginia was chosen as the host for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills conference that will bring in more than 100 policymakers, educators and business and community leaders from across the country. West Virginia was chosen because of its efforts to bring 21st Century Learning to classrooms statewide. In 2005, West Virginia was the second state to join the partnership, which now has 26 members, including Adobe Systems Inc., Apple, Cisco Systems, Dell Inc. Ford Motor Co., Microsoft and Time Warner. The conference is designed to combine business interest with classroom instruction.
(Source: Times West Virginia June 6, 2007)
Middletown Home Sales, co-owned by Kevin Wilfong and Chris Poskin, was recently rated one of the top 10 retail outlets in the nation in a national survey done of customers to determine their satisfaction with their sales experience. The company received the Arthur Award by Skyline Corp.
(Source: The State Journal, June 1-7, 2007)
