Conversion of South Charleston stamping plant will 'blow people away'

• Release Date: Saturday, June 23, 2007
• Dateline (city): South Charleston, West Virginia
• Contact: Holly McGinness, Marketing Manager, 49 89 5488 4112
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Charleston Daily Mail
Conversion of South Charleston stamping plant will 'blow people away'
Elaine McMillionDaily Mail staff



Monday July 23, 2007

John Wise is a busy man working on a deadline.

"When we get finished this will be a model for West Virginia and a world class facility second to none," Wise said.

With a launch team of 20 people and 17 contracted workers, Wise is working to convert the outdated South Charleston Union Stamping and Assembly plant into a modern Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing by January.

Crews are in the process of installing new flooring, re-painting the presses and the 60-foot ceilings, replacing exterior signs, fencing and siding, pouring new concrete for the inside and outside surfaces, re-roofing and undertaking a $1 million interior lighting project.

"We're actually really going to glam it up," Wise said. "We want the city of South Charleston and West Virginia to be proud when they see it driving down the road."

It's a $35 million investment.  ..

Some of the expenses include $7 million for 45 automated robots; $2.5 million in press control upgrades and $1.5 million in die change equipment.

"It all kind of blends together," Wise said. "There are many, many projects that come together under one umbrella."

Twenty-five presses have been completely eliminated while six or seven have been relocated, allowing the plant to operate with fewer than it once had.

The plant will receive 45 of the largest press-tending robots in November to make for a more efficient process.

"It's going to blow people away when they see what were going to do at this plant," Wise said.

Eight of the robots will be equipped with a 10-foot arm reach and 37 with 9-foot arms. They will transfer the sheets of pressed metal from one press to another, making the process faster.

Skeptics worry the robots will take jobs away from people.

Wise, 61, disagrees. He says the robots will make the plant more competitive by allowing press lines to produce 300 to 350 pieces an hour with only 5 people compared to 200 pieces with 16 people.

"By upgrading we will create 550 jobs in four or five years," Wise said of the robots.

The search for a customer is continuing, though.

"We still do not have a customer, but we get daily calls," Wise said.

On a regular basis, Wise says he is contacted by four major equipment manufacturers in truck and automotive groups. The plant keeps its potential customers informed by sending them monthly progress updates. There is one promising customer, but Wise would not reveal a name.

"Build it and they will come," Wise said. "That has been our motto all along, I am not at all concerned. We'll be fine."

He would not comment on whether the Hino truck plant announced in Williamstown could develop a relationship with the stamping plant.

"It's too early to say," Wise said, smiling. "I can say it's great for West Virginia."

Wise's confident smile wasn't the only thing gleaming in the 992,000 square foot building. The lighting project makes the facility noticeably brighter in the areas where it has been installed.

John Whitney, facility manager, said the 800 new Metal A-lights will use less electricity and produce a brighter, whiter light that will provide for a better working environment than the 35-year old high-pressure sodium lighting did.

The plant is being renovated down to the smallest details. Crews are applying a primer as well as a bumper and topcoat on all of the presses' parts, including the ram and the 70,000-pound flywheel.

The rolling bolsters which go underneath the press like a table for the sheets of metal are being repainted orange to cover battle scars from the last 10 to 15 years.

"I'm a little fussy. My partner is really fussy," Wise said. "This is going to be a showcase when we get done. We're not settling for second best."

All four restrooms are also being remodeled to include automated sinks and toilets as well as new flooring and lockers.

"I don't think we will miss a square inch once we get done," Wise said.

Workforce West Virginia has received more than 600 applications of people wanting to hang their hats in the new lockers, said Angela Markham, the plant's human resources director.

Applicants will take assessment tests into September, and workers should be hired in October.

Markham says the plant hopes to hire 79 to 80 in January not counting the 20 on board already and also hire continually throughout the year.

Wise said the goal is to create 79 jobs in the first year, 140 jobs in the second year and up to 550 jobs in the fourth or fifth year.

Once the workers are hired, an orientation period of at least two weeks is required for training manufacturing specialists. The skilled trade training process is more extensive.

Markham, who has worked with Wise since 1989, said the prospect of bringing workers back to the plant is exciting.

"I was here during the heyday when we had 1,100 people," Markham said. "You lose the intimacy with that many. I think the target toward technology with 550 people will be just perfect size."

Wise, who is from England originally, came to West Virginia in 1978 as an executive for Volkswagen. In 1988, businessman Ray Park and Wise got together and started the independent plant. Wise left in 2002 for retirement.

While he was retired he did some entrepreneurial work. Rubbing his bald head, Wise grinned and acknowledged he owns three hair salons.

His retirement was cut short last December with the announcement that he and Park would be re-opening the plant.

"I never would have come out of retirement except for a) Mr. Park and b) West Virginia," Wise said.

"I owe so much to West Virginia. I am very grateful to the people who helped make me a success."

Contact writer Elaine McMillion at elainemcmillion@dailymail.com or 348-4872.

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