Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 23, 1993 TAG: 9302230073
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PIPE MAKER CONSIDERS BOTETOURT
The president of an Ohio pipe company that is considering moving its 200-worker operation to the Roanoke Valley confirmed Monday that an existing building in Botetourt County is his "No. 1 choice."Gilbert Gardner, head of Connex Pipe Systems of Marietta, Ohio, said he will visit Botetourt officials today "to make sure the advantages are still in play."
He declined to discuss any incentives that may be offered to move his headquarters operations, and those at a Pineville, N.C. satellite, to the Roanoke Valley. Ned McElwaine, assistant Botetourt County administrator, declined to comment on Gardner's statement.
The company has not made a formal announcement about moving. But an officer of the pipefitters' union that represents Connex workers said last week that talks with the company broke down because Connex wanted to reduce employee wages from $17.47 to $12.71 an hour.
Gardner earlier said he would close the Ohio operations if he could not agree on contract terms with the union.
Gardner said he has met with economic development officials during several visits to the Roanoke Valley during his eight-month search for a possible new plant location. On Monday, Gardner said he wants "to see if all those things we talked about are still there."
As he moves toward a final decision, Gardner said this weekend he will bring "a couple busloads of about 25 employees and their families" on a visit to see if they want to live here. They have been offered transfers if the Botetourt County site is selected.
But a second potential plant site remains in contention. Gardner said he will take the chosen employees on a second bus trip to Alpharetta, Ga., a small town in Fulton County just north of Atlanta, the next week. A decision about locating the company will be made after that trip, he said.
A "few" employees from Pineville, a Charlotte, N.C., suburb, will be offered transfers to the new location, he said.
Gardner said he does not expect his consolidated operation to be a unionized plant. Negotiations between Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 168 and the company broke down Thursday.
"We have nothing against the union if we could work out an agreement," he said.
Gardner said his company's workload has been down "because we haven't been competitive."
On Monday, Gardner said his company has a strong market for its fabricated pipe products in such international markets as China, Israel, Taiwan, Indonesia "and all over the world."