The Point Industrial Park in South Point, Lawrence County, Ohio will be the location for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art monolithic refractories manufacturing facility by Harbison Walker International. The site is subject to completion of the company’s due diligence and finalization of one additional grant application that is in process.

Citing monolithics as a growth area, HWI announced in February 2017 that it is investing $30 million to build a technologically advanced monolithics plant as the next step in its strategy to continuously improve performance and respond to customers’ needs. The new facility will be one of the most technologically advanced refractories plants built in the U.S. and will be operational by early 2018.

The Point: Unique Location and Amenities

“Unlike any other location, The Point offers unique transportation, logistics and business amenities that combine to create an ideal and cost-effective match for the requirements of our new facility. The intermodal transportation features at The Point will ensure efficient delivery of raw materials from nearby suppliers and finished products to customers. The site offers efficiencies that are simply not possible elsewhere,” said Douglas Hall, senior vice president, Integrated Supply Chain, HarbisonWalker International.

Further, the close proximity to suppliers, a supporting infrastructure, incentives, and the potential for long-term partnerships in the area led to the location selection, according to Hall.

“HarbisonWalker International’s progressive attitudes, commitment to its workforce and customers, and emphasis on quality and technology are a perfect fit with our overall approach. We’re so pleased to welcome such an exciting and dynamic company to The Point,” said Bill Dingus, executive director of the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), developers of The Point.

Encompassing 500 acres and located in Ohio River Valley in the northern Kentucky / southern Ohio region of the United States, The Point is one of Ohio’s fastest-growing industrial parks. The site is strategically positioned to provide HarbisonWalker International with the capability to move its monolithics from the southern-most point in Ohio to any location around the globe.

Set on the section of the Ohio River that is the largest weight/volume inland port in the United States, The Point invested $4.5 million to build a port that offers a direct link to destinations around the world at the lowest possible price.

Businesses residing at the Point also benefit from the only public rail and truck scales in the area, a utility and road infrastructure built for heavy manufacturing, a four-lane rollout to Interstate 64 and competitive incentive programs. In addition, plans are well underway for a $20 million wellness center to serve employees at The Point and an R&D facility that presents opportunities for future partnerships.

“We are delighted that HarbisonWalker International chose South Point for its new state-of-the-art monolithic refractories manufacturing facility. The site’s excellent road, river and rail transportation assets were a major factor in the decision to make the investment here”, commented John Molinaro, president and CEO of the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG), the region’s JobsOhio partner.

The New Plant: HWI’s Advanced Monolithic Refractories

With a history that spans more than 150 years, HarbisonWalker International (HWI) has created many of the refractory industry’s most significant technologies.

Monolithic refractories (those which can be molded or shaped for a variety of requirements) pose one of the strongest product growth categories for both HWI and the industry. For HWI, the new state-of-the-art plant will enable the company to further elevate product quality and consistency, and it illustrates the company’s forward-thinking strategy to harness new technology and invest for future growth.

HWI expects initial capacity at the new monolithic plant to be approximately 80,000 metric tons per year. The plant will feature new state-of-the-art automation and technology, and will utilize new lean techniques throughout its operations to maximize material flow efficiency and production. It will employ highly-trained and highly-skilled technicians and staff in a team-based environment. In addition, the facility will introduce advanced packaging technologies that are new to the North American market.

Groundbreaking for the new facility is expected to occur in early summer, 2017. Additional details about the new facility and construction plans will be announced as they become available.