PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Wincore Windows is adding 50 full-time jobs in the coming months as the Wood County Development Authority and the window and door builder spoke with the Wood County Commission Monday.
“We’re growing,” said Wincore Chief Operating Officer Mike Scarberry. “Our volume has grown and we have gone from having a day shift to adding a night shift and we will continue to add to it. The equipment will help us to take volume up and help with the expediency of the delivery of the product.”
Scarberry said the market is there for the product Wincore will soon be producing. “The need has always been there for a high velocity window for the southern states,” he said. “What we have done is go the extra mile to get extra certification. We’ve got that certification for Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina all the way to the Outer Banks.
“What we have done is become a one-stop shop for major window distributors,” he said. “Instead of them buying the standard window, they can buy virtually any window at a high velocity rating. To do this on a commercial basis, you have to be pretty good at it. What we learned during lean times was to be efficient with our resources and now it’s all coming to fruition. We earned our spot at the table one window at a time,” he said.
The total cost for the seven pieces of equipment is $1,990,410.05, according to Robert Bays with the Wood County Development Authority. “The development authority will be taking out a loan for $1,680,000 with Peoples Bank,” he said.
“Wincore is placing the other 20 percent down. We, the developement authority, will borrow the money and buy the equipment. We will own the equipment. Then when the loan is paid off in five years, we will sell Wincore the equipment for a dollar,” Bays said.
Bays said he was unsure when the equipment would be put into production but the order for all the equipment has been placed. “They may have received one piece of it as of today,” he said. All of the equipment will be installed at the Wincore location at 250 Staunton Ave.
Scarberry told the commission Wincore has 293 employees with the additional 50 pushing the total to 343. Scarberry said the 50 jobs will add approximately $1.1 million to the payroll.
“And what will happen with this expansion it’s going to increase all job categories. Sales, product development and others are going to be affected by the increase in the head count,” he said.
“This is great news for the county,” said Wood County Commissioner Blair Couch. “It’s great news to hear about a local business expanding this significantly. We will support them in whatever way we can.”
Scarberry said Wincore was looking at two additional sites within the county in case the expansion takes the remaining room on Staunton Avenue. “This company was started in West Virginia. It was built by West Virginians and managed by West Virginians,” Scarberry said.
“What we have here is 95 percent West Virginia. And the rest of it comes across the (Ohio) river to work, so we are all local. We’re going to do our very best to not go anywhere,” he said.
In other business:
* The commission was asked to accept an application for the annexation of 10 plots of land along Bella Vista Drive to be included within the City of Vienna. The application was presented by Vienna city attorney Russell Skogstad Jr. No vote was taken on this request.
* Jeremy Cross, Wood County parks director, presented an update on the community service by Home Confinement and Day Report members. Cross stated 14 workers had contributed 1,290 hours of community service in Wood County parks. A restroom at Mountwood Park was receiving a new roof Monday by community service members.
* Jason Matthews was approved to become a member of the Emergency Planning Commission.
* Darrin Nuter was approved to become a member of the Wood County Fire Board.
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