RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC) will invest $10 million to expand its Virginia operations at a new manufacturing facility in the former Merillat plant in Atkins in Smyth County. The company operates a successful manufacturing facility with 83 employees in nearby Wytheville. The Smyth County project will create 160 new jobs.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “It is a great testament to Virginia’s business climate when a valued corporate partner like MEC continues to expand its footprint in the Commonwealth. The company will make a significant investment to establish another manufacturing operation in Southwest Virginia, creating 160 new jobs and revitalizing a vacant property in Smyth County. This tremendous project is a win-win, as MEC is able to expand in a facility that allows quick start-up to production, and a community struggling with the loss of a former employer will gain new job opportunities. ”
“An investment of $10 million and the creation of 160 new jobs is significant news for Atkins and Smyth County,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “We are pleased that MEC is able to meet its expansion needs in a neighboring county while continuing to thrive in Wytheville. We look forward to the company’s continued success in Virginia for years to come.”
Founded in 1945, MEC is one of the nation’s leading supply chain partners for blue chip original equipment manufacturers. The company was recently named number one on the FAB 40 list of the largest metal fabricators. This marks the fourth consecutive year that MEC has led the list. MEC is 100% employee-owned and operates multiple manufacturing facilities. The company serves the agricultural, commercial vehicle, construction, forestry, on/off road power sports, energy, military and industrial markets. MEC’s processes include complete metal fabrication, tube forming and coatings.
“We’re excited to expand our operations in Virginia, and this new facility in Atkins will allow us to continue to grow with our customers,” said Robert Kamphuis, Chairman, President and CEO of MEC. “We’ve been very successful in Virginia, and that’s a credit to the dedicated group of employee shareholders at our plant in Wytheville. We were thrilled to find a facility in the neighboring county that met our needs for this expansion. The available facility and the support we’ve received from the community and the state made this a win-win decision.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Smyth County and Virginia’s aCorridor to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McAuliffe approved a $300,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Smyth County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $505,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project. Additional funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
"Smyth County is excited and honored to welcome MEC to our fast-growing business community,” said Wade H. Blevins Jr., Chairman, Smyth County Board of Supervisors. “MEC has an outstanding reputation in the world of fabrication including being named No. 1 in their field by Fabricator Magazine for four consecutive years, and we are proud they chose to expand their operations here in Smyth County. This project is very important to our future, and we appreciate the cooperation from our neighbors in Wythe County to ensure the success of this project expansion moving forward. In addition, we are grateful for the support and assistance from Governor McAuliffe, Secretary Jones, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia’s aCorridor to help make this possible. It is another great day here in Smyth County.”
“The Tobacco Commission is excited to play a role in this expansion,” said Senator Charles W. Carrico, a member of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. “One hundred sixty new jobs will mean a lot to Smyth County, and I look forward to working with companies like MEC to make sure Southwest Virginia continues to move toward an economic resurgence.”
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