Governor Allen Dedicates Largest Industrial Galvanizing Bath on East Coast

$7 Million Australian Investment, 60 Jobs Created by Industrial Galvanizers

Petersburg - Governor George Allen today dedicated the largest commercial hot-dip galvanizing bath on the East Coast at the new Industrial Galvanizers Virginia plant in Petersburg. The decision by Industrial Galvanizers America Inc. to locate the largest commercial plant of its type on the East Coast will result in an investment of approximately $7 million and create up to 60 new jobs. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland for the project.

"We are pleased that the 'Big Dipper' will be located here in Virginia and that's a great vote of confidence in Virginia's future and the work ethic of our citizens," said Governor Allen. "Along with pro-business policies that encourage investment, entrepreneurship and job creation, we are aggressively recruiting world-class competitors like Industrial Galvanizers to Virginia."

The centerpiece of the Petersburg facility is a hot-dip galvanizing bath, referred to as "The Big Dipper." The bath can hold 550 tons of molten zinc which allows Industrial Galvanizers to hot-dip galvanize steel as large as an 80 foot long I-beam, considerably larger than most commercial galvanizing operations. The Industrial Galvanizers Virginia facility will serve galvanizing customers in Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.

Galvanizing involves the metallurgical process of bonding molten zinc to steel to create a corrosion resistant protection system that is unsurpassed in steel coatings. The Petersburg plant will galvanize such items as highway bridge beams, reinforcement bars, guardrails, light and sign poles, electrical line towers, and storage tanks.

"We plan to set new standards for the galvanizing industry on the east coast with the highest levels of quality and scheduling accuracy," said Industrial Galvanizers Virginia General Manager Michael Hadley. "The location of our largest U.S. operation on the major transportation routes through Petersburg, allows us to quickly serve steel-processing and manufacturing facilities throughout the east coast with the high level of service, quality, quick turn-around and processing capability developed by the Industrial Galvanizers Group in Australia."

Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, the Industrial Galvanizers Group is one of the largest galvanizing companies in the world, with plants throughout Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and projects under development in the Philippines. An existing plant in Florida joined the company's roster last year. The Virginia plant, located in the Petersburg Interstate Industrial Park, is the largest in the Industrial Galvanizers Group worldwide.

"We are, of course, excited to have such a respected company choose Petersburg," said Mayor Rosalyn Dance. "This dedication further exemplifies the fact that Petersburg is an attractive community to companies worldwide."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the City of Petersburg and the Appomatox Basin Industrial Development Corporation (ABIDCO) assisted the company with its decision. Governor Allen also approved workforce training services through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance.

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