CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Commerce Secretary Ed Gaunch toured businesses in Marion, Harrison and Monongalia counties on Sept. 5 – 6.
“Under the leadership of Gov. Jim Justice, we have sought to create opportunities to hear from those doing businesses in West Virginia,” Gaunch said. “We have toured companies that range from new to decades-old, international corporations to neighborhood small businesses, in a diverse range of industries. The visits have been educational and inspiring.”
Additional tours are being planned for this year.
Thursday, Sept. 5, the Commerce team attended an industry roundtable at Pierpont Community and Technical College, Advanced Technology Center, in Fairmont.
While in Fairmont, the tour called on area manufacturers.
- Schauenburg Flexadux started in 1974 as a ventilation manufacturer. The company evolved into a turn-key solutions provider for mining, tunneling and oil field industries. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Fairmont, West Virginia.
- ND Paper is a subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, a leading global paper product manufacturer and the largest containerboard producer in Asia. The company manufactures high-quality pulp, paper and paper-based packaging materials. ND Paper operates four mills in the U.S. The mill in Fairmont is one of only three in the world that produces air-dried, recycled pulp.
Friday, Sept. 6, the tour visited aerospace and specialty glass companies in Harrison County.
- Aurora Flight Services is a world leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced unmanned systems and aerospace vehicles. A subsidiary of Boeing, the company has Research and Development Centers in Massachusetts, Ohio and California, and a European office in Switzerland. Aurora operates production plants in Bridgeport, West Virginia and Columbus, Mississippi. The West Virginia facility is the center of Aurora’s composite manufacturing work for military aircraft.
- Pratt & Whitney Engine Services in Bridgeport provides service and maintenance of aircraft and helicopter engines. In recognition of the company’s quality of service, Pratt & Whitney Canada designated the Bridgeport facility as the “Center of Excellence” for corporate turbofan and turboprop engines. Pratt & Whitney is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies.
- EuropTec USA in Clarksburg manufactures acid etched anti-glare glass, EagleEtch®, and specialty glass processing and fabrication for the display industry. EuropTec products are used for such applications as touch panels, ATMs, kiosks, military, automobile, computer and appliance displays. Headquartered in Switzerland, the EuropTec Group includes eight branches specialized in the manufacturing of glass and polymers.
In addition to the visits to businesses, the Commerce team attended events hosted by the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce/Morgantown Area Partnership in Monongalia County and by the Harrison County Economic Development Corporation, North Central West Virginia Airport and Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex in Harrison County.
