WYTHEVILLE, Va. – This morning, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Coperion Corporation, in collaboration with local real estate developer WYCO, LLC, will expand its Wythe County operation, investing a total of more than $3 million in its Wythe County facility.

Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, Coperion, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand, serves as a world market and technology leader for compounding systems, bulk materials systems, components and services.

Wythe County successfully competed against New Jersey for the project, which will create 22 new jobs and propel the county to becoming the center of all U.S.-based extruder-related manufacturing and warehousing.

McAuliffe said he was thrilled to make the announcement, stating, “Creating quality jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector is one of the most important ways we can build a new Virginia economy.”

According to the Virginia Department of Commerce and Trade, the project is strategically important in that it brings new jobs and capital investment to the area.

“We’re excited to expand our operations in Wytheville,” said Robert DiMarino, Vice President Operations, Coperion Corporation, who went on to state that the company has been “extremely pleased” with the dedication of local employees and the support of the Commonwealth, Wythe County and the Town of Wytheville.

West Wytheville’s representative on the Wythe County Board of Supervisors says he is pleased that the company will be expanding in his district. Artie Hall, who serves as chairman of the County’s Economic Development Committee, added, “This is a big achievement for Wythe County – it is a vote of confidence for our area. They had several locations to choose from and yet they chose us.”

Hall’s sentiments were echoed by Tim Reeves, Chair of the Wythe County Board of Supervisors. “Coperion has been a contributing member of this community for many years, and we are happy the company chose to expand its business here. This expansion is a major accomplishment in Wythe County’s industrial growth.”

Click LIKE to share this article with your friends on Facebook!

WYTHEVILLE, Va. –Wythe County’s Department of Emergency Services is now under the direction of newly appointed department head, Jason Kinser.

Kinser, 34, is a native of Tazewell County, Virginia, and comes to Wythe County with at least sixteen years’ worth of experience in fire and EMS.

Prior to coming on board as Wythe County’s emergency coordinator, a position which was vacated earlier this fall, Kinser served as administrator for both the Jeffersonville Rescue Squad and the Bluefield Rescue Squad.

The southwest Virginia native’s entire adult career has been spent in the emergency services field. A nationally registered paramedic and certified fire instructor, county officials say Kinser’s addition to the emergency services team will bring a balanced understanding of the needs of both the county’s volunteer fire departments and rescue squads.

In addition to serving as emergency coordinator, the former paramedic will also be tasked with acting as the county’s first EMS director. Through this position, Kinser will assist the three rescue squads based in Wythe County with cost saving measures such as combined purchasing.

“It is my goal to foster a spirit of cooperation and efficiency within the county’s nine emergency services agencies,” said Kinser, who stated that he will be reaching out to leaders within the local rescue squads and fire departments in the days to come.

Click LIKE to share this article with your friends on Facebook!

WYTHEVILLE, Va. – This coming week, tens of thousands of Wythe County residents will be celebrating Christmas by opening what will equate to truckloads of wrapping paper and disposing of tons of cardboard boxes.

In an effort to accommodate the drastic increase in discarded material that will be received at the county’s convenience centers this week, Billy Bowers, Wythe County’s Solid Waste director, is encouraging residents to place their used wrapping paper and cardboard boxes into the convenience center’s recycling bins – as opposed to mixing them in with their regular trash.

“Most county residents would be astonished to realize how much money they save the county simply by recycling paper products rather than mixing them in with their regular trash,” said Bowers, adding “This time of year, we see a heavy increase in the disposal of paper products, such as cardboard and wrapping paper.  By recycling these products, citizens will assist us in putting these items back into use, minimizing the costs of trash disposal and save space in crowding landfills.”

Residents who live in the county have already demonstrated their willingness to recycle, as the county leads nearly every jurisdiction in our region in the total weight of recycled materials.

Bowers requested that residents who do recycle their cardboard boxes break them down, as unbroken boxes will take up more space at the centers during their busiest time of year.

The Wythe County Convenience Centers will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Click LIKE to share this article with your friends on Facebook!