Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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Editorial: Expansion is good news
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Commonwealth Laminating & Coating Inc.’s decision to expand in Henry County is a win-win on every level.
The company announced Wednesday that it would spend $5.45 million to buy and improve the shell building in the Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek industrial park and create 60 jobs over the next three years.
The expansion of a local company always is good news. Commonwealth began here in December 1995, and it has 120 full-time employees at its headquarters in the Patriot Centre. All its manufacturing is done at the Patriot Centre, and it has distribution centers around the globe. The fact that it chose to expand here is a huge vote of confidence in local workers and the business climate for expansion.
The 60 jobs which Commonwealth plans to create will pay an average of at least $40,000. That is a good wage and will help raise the pay standard in the area.
This move also puts the shell building on the tax rolls. There have been 47 inquiries about the building and 18 serious prospects during the several years it has been on the market, all of which drew attention to this area.
This is the second expansion Commonwealth has announced in the past nine months, which is impressive by any measure. In November, the company said it would invest $16.5 million to expand its manufacturing operation here and create 40 jobs over the next two to three years. Those will pay average annual wages of $50,000.
We congratulate Commonwealth Laminating on its business success and applaud its decision to grow here. We also commend the area and state officials who helped make that happen.
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