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Efforts continue to build on the economy of the Upper Ohio Valley, and a recent announcement by West Virginia officials and the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle is putting a new piece into the road to our area's future.
Pure Watercraft, a Seattle-based company which manufactures electric boats and electric boat motors, has chosen to locate a new operation within a portion of the Beech Bottom Industrial Park. Expected to create more than 100 jobs, the company plans to manufacture a line of electric pontoon boats.
Battery packs for the boats will be provided by General Motors, which holds a 25% stake in Pure Watercraft, with the construction of the boats to take place in a portion of the Brooke County facility which once served as the home of Wheeling Corrugating.
An investment of approximately $5 million is expected as part of renovations prior to opening the operation.
Pure Watercraft mixes our area's traditional manufacturing with the technological advancements we have experienced in recent years. It's engines are quieter and more environmentally friendly, preserving the beauty of our lakes and rivers while still providing an opportunity for some of the outdoor recreational activities many of our residents enjoy.
More importantly, this announcement is providing jobs. The BDC, working with economic development and elected officials on the state and national levels, continue the efforts to bring new businesses to Brooke and Hancock counties. For several years, the local organization has inventoried and remediated former industrial properties in our region in an effort to make them available for new businesses. Pure Watercraft is the latest success in those efforts.
We welcome the company to our area's business community, and wish them many years of healthy operations.