ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 20, 1996 TAG: 9607220036
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
The Radford Army Ammunition Plant soon will add 62 jobs after signing a contract to produce a chemical component used in the manufacture of polyurethane foams for a Pennsylvania company.
The company, Air Products & Chemicals, manufactures a product called DNT, which is similar to the explosive TNT. The ammunition plant spent $3.6 million in federal funds to reopen its old TNT plant to manufacture the new chemical line. It will be open for business by the end of the year.
This is the third time Alliant Techsystems, the ammunition plant's commercial operator, has steered business toward the arsenal. The Minnesota-based company is moving its commercial gunpowder operation from its Kenvil, N.J., plant to Radford - a move that is expected to bring an additional 150 jobs to the ammunition plant.
Alliant announced in December it would begin producing at the arsenal a commercial propellant for an automobile air-bags manufacturer, although that contract did not result in more jobs at the plant.
New York-based Fireworks By Grucci, which will begin moving some of its manufacturing work to Radford in the fall, is the first major commercial business besides Alliant Techsystems to move its operations to the ammunition plant. Nick Vlahakis, Alliant's vice president at the plant, said the arsenal is working with 20 active prospects and another 40 potential companies.
"It all adds up to this huge potential," he said.
About half of the 62 jobs that will be added from the latest commercial contract already have been filled. The ammunition plant and the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union have an agreement to rehire people who previously were laid off from the arsenal when new opportunities arise, though the jobs are open to outside people.
"We prefer to have people who have done similar work in the past," said Chip Batton, Alliant program manager.
This latest announcement, which was made Friday, is part of the ammunition plant's ongoing efforts to bring commercial industries to its facilities. The outside industries and contracts help reduce overhead costs and create jobs for New River Valley residents and arsenal employees who have been laid off as production of rocket propellant for the Army wanes.
"I fully anticipate that in the near future additional announcements will be made of other manufacturing firms deciding to locate on the premises of the Radford arsenal, providing new jobs for the New River Valley residents," said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, who announced the new contract. "We are, therefore, hopeful that from this time forward employment announcements concerning the Radford arsenal will be of jobs added rather than jobs lost."
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB