ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020064
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BUCHANAN
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
BOTETOURT COUNTY is enjoying an industrial rise, and officials now hint that another firm may be on the way.
Botetourt County's industrial boom apparently isn't over.
During a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for the recently announced Meadville Forging Co. plant in Buchanan, Governor George Allen mentioned the recent announcements of $77 million worth of new industrial plants in the county and alluded to yet another business to come.
"There's some other good news coming from another company, but we can't announce that yet, can we, Jerry?" the governor said, turning to Botetourt County Administrator Jerry Burgess.
Burgess, in fact, had little to say about Allen's comment but did confirm that the county is at a "sensitive" stage in the negotiations with a manufacturing company. He said the company's board is supposed to meet in August, and a decision on whether to locate here should come then.
Allen stopped in Buchanan as part of his "Listening Tour" of the state. He joined Meadville President Jim Martin and others in kicking off the construction of the company's Buchanan plant, which will be called Virginia Forging.
Martin said contractors will begin grading the land for the plant next week. It should begin manufacturing wheel hubs for four-wheel-drive trucks next summer.
Dynax America, a Japanese auto parts manufacturer which announced in May it would be coming to Botetourt, also has begun grading land for its plant in the county's EastPark Commerce Center on Alternate U.S. 220 near Cloverdale.
York International, a heating and air conditioning equipment manufacturer that said in May it would open a plant in EastPark, expects to be operating in the shell building it purchased before summer's end.
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB