HANGING ROCK, Ohio (WSAZ) -- Nearly 60 new jobs will be created in Lawrence County, Ohio, when Chatham Steel opens a distribution center in the Hanging Rock area.
That surprising news comes as the economy is unstable nationwide and local steel plants are laying off workers. Even more surprising, perhaps, is that economic development leaders in Huntington sent the business venture across the river to Ohio when it didn't fit into Cabell County.
Recently, Chatham Steel contacted the Huntington Area Development Council to open up shop and have rail lines built to bring their carbon steel product in to a distribution center and then be trucked out to customers. Unfortunately, there wasn't a good area near rail lines for that to fit in town, so Huntington gave the business to Lawrence County where the land is right and people are waiting for the jobs.
Lawrence County is one step closer to having Chatham Steel open up a distribution center and rail spurs on a piece of land in Hanging Rock.
"You hear all the time we need good jobs; that's what Chatham will bring," said Viviane Kounlavong-Vallance with Lawrence County Economic Development.
The company will bring nearly 60 jobs, and local resident Jason Newcomb said he would like to have one of them.
"Anything they need help with I'd be willing to do it for a job," he said. "That way I'm not out of town working."
After construction is complete, Chatham Steel will need 60 workers for jobs ranging from manufacturing and truck driving to administrative. Originally, those jobs were intended for Huntington, but local leaders said they didn't have the right parcel of land for the rail lines to fit. As a result, they called Lawrence County.
Gerald MacDonald with the Huntington Area Development Council said, "We wanted to keep it in the Tri-State. We know they had a good site in Ohio. I'm just glad it's staying in the area."
Chatham is investing $8 million in the Hanging Rock Distribution Center, which will not be up and running for another year and a half. Construction will begin in about six months on a site in front of Rumpke Waste Disposal.
Anyone interested in applying for Chatham Steel jobs should contact the Lawrence County Workforce Resource Center.