ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606210029
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
A manufacturer of plastic bags and packaging film that is building a $15.9 million plant in Smyth County was awarded $100,000 Thursday by the Commonwealth Transportation Board for construction of a rail line to the plant.
Chicago-based Scholle Corp. is constructing a 76,000-square-foot facility in Deer Valley Industrial Park near Chilhowie. The plant is expected to create 145 jobs that pay in the $7 to $10.50 per-hour range in the next 30 months, according to Sally Morgan of the Smyth economic development office.
Founded in 1947, Scholle operates eight U.S. plants and one each in Canada, Holland and Australia. Its products are used in the food, beverage, milk, wine and chemical industries. Its metallicized film is widely used to contain wine sold in boxes.
Scholle received $125,000 from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist with site preparation for the plant. and the promise of wWork force training services have been promised to be provided by the Virginia Department of Economic Development.
The industrial access grant will be used to reconstruct existing railroad track as well as build some new track, said Brenda Waters, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Also on Thursday, the transportation board:
*Approved $323,850 for construction of an industrial-access road from the new Peters Creek Road extension to Roanoke Electric Steel Corp.'s plant in Northwest Roanoke. The city will add $23,850 and agreed to repay the state's money if all truck traffic is not banned from Westside Boulevard, the steel plant's existing access road, by June 20, 1999. There have been complaints from residents about the traffic.
*Agreed to provide Martinsville $450,000 for an industrial access road into Clearview Business Park. Martinsville will add $150,000 and agreed to repay part of the state money if at least $6 million is not invested in new business in the park by June 20, 1999.
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