JM Conveyors Finds Room to Grow in Southwest Virginia

JM Conveyors, an affiliate of the JENNMAR and JennChem family of companies, designs and delivers chemical roof support, rock stabilization, and ventilation sealing products to the mining and underground construction industries. 

In an effort to expand its offerings, the company began planning a new, heavy-duty conveyor systems line in 2017. But first, they needed to find the perfect site.

Enter Southwest Virginia.

Ample Inventory at the Right Price

Parent company JENNMAR has operated facilities in Giles and Tazewell counties for more than 20 years, and is no stranger to the region’s strengths. It didn’t take long for JM Conveyors to see those same strengths. 

Boasting a business-friendly environment, ready-made sites, state-of-the-art broadband, and low operating costs, it quickly became clear that Southwest Virginia could meet JM Conveyors’ needs. 

They sought a 70,000 to 100,000-square-foot facility that was affordable and infrastructure-ready. In response, economic developers in Southwest Virginia and Russell County shared the variety of available manufacturing facilities the area has to offer. 

One such site, the former Teleflex facility in the Russell County Industrial Park, struck the perfect balance; it was competitively priced and could be easily modified.

With support from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, Russell County, the Town of Lebanon, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, and VEDP, JM Conveyors was able to complete its offer for the site in a few weeks. This collaborative effort among different stakeholders made it possible for the company to get to work immediately.

Nestled in the heart of Southwest Virginia, Russell County offered unparalleled connectivity to the company’s customer base through access to U.S. Highways 19 and 58 and major Interstates 81 and 77. This transportation infrastructure made the site an ideal location to conduct national and global business and provide products serving a wide variety of industries.

JM Conveyors Joins the Family

In April 2017, JM Conveyors officially announced its decision to join its parent company in Southwest Virginia, locating to the vacant Teleflex facility, creating 40 new jobs and returning an idle plant to productive use. 

Virginia was a natural fit for JM Conveyors thanks to its strong talent pool. It was important to us to hire people from right here in Russell County and the surrounding area.

Gary Varney, General Manager, JM Conveyors (2018–2020)

By 2019, JM Conveyors exceeded its expansion goals, becoming one of the leading suppliers of underground conveyor systems in the mining industry and shipping products as far west as Montana and as far east as New York. 

Today, the rate of expansion has allowed the Russell County facility to hire additional positions, continue to grow and expand its footprint, and build on the promise that Southwest Virginia provides to high-tech manufactures large and small.