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Portion of Ball Corp. plant may have future in Half Moon

NEW BEGINNING — David Maple is working on taking over a section of the soon-to-close Ball Corp. plant in the Half Moon Industrial Park in Weirton. Maple’s business venture was awarded a $1.575 million loan on Thursday by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. He said about 30 workers will be hired to cut steel and coat it for customers who will turn the plates into food cans or aerosol cans. -- Mark Law

WEIRTON — David Maple of Toronto is working on securing funding to open a section of the soon-to-close Ball Corp. plant in the Half Moon Industrial Park.

Ball Corp. officials have announced the plant would be closing by the end of March.

The West Virginia Economic Development Authority on Thursday approved a loan in the amount of $1.575 million to Maple Manufacturing Co. as part of the financing of the operations. David Warner, West Virginia Economic Development Authority executive director, said the term of the loan is for 10 years at 4 percent interest.

Maple said he is working on securing private loans, and he has one small investor working with him. He expects to have a formal announcement in the next 30 days.

“I still don’t have everything in place,” he said.

Maple said he will lease a section of the Ball plant from ArcelorMittal and purchase equipment from Ball Corp. He said his operations will involve cutting steel rolls from ArcelorMittal into plates and then apply a coating as required by customers. The customers then will take the coated plates and make food or aerosol cans.

Maple had 23 years of experience at Ball Corp., with 10 years as the Weirton plant manager. He has been a consultant to similar manufacturing businesses for the past two years. He also is a Jefferson County commissioner.

Maple said Weirton is the perfect location for the business venture. The steel coils are stored in an ArcelorMittal warehouse next to the Ball plant.

“(ArcelorMittal) just has to move the coils across the floor instead of shipping it across the country,” he said.

Maple said his operation will start out as a much smaller business than the existing Ball Corp. plant, which employed more of 300 people. He said Maple Manufacturing will start out with 25 to 30 employees. He will purchase the equipment from Ball Corp. after that company ceases operation by the end of March. He hopes to begin production by the end of June.

He noted he still has a lot of contacts in the can-manufacturing industry.

“It is something I like doing and think I can still provide a good service to the industry from the facility in Weirton,” Maple said.

Warner said, despite the bad news about Ball Corp., he is excited about Maple’s efforts to get production going again.

“It casts hope on a bright spot in Weirton. Hopefully it will give Mr. Maple a chance to grow and help with the job loss at Ball,” Warner said.

In a statement on Ball’s website concerning the plant closing, Jim Peterson, the company’s chief operating officer, said, “We are continuing our efforts to maximize value in our existing business by redistributing production services within our system, ensuring these services are strategically located near our customers and suppliers, and investing in the quality of our production services in their new locations. While closing a plant is always difficult, this decision will allow us to remain competitive in a changing market and to continue delivering first-class products to our customers.”

Ball officials have said its Weirton employees ” … will be able to apply for open positions within Ball.”

Maple said he would consider hiring former Ball employees.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)

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