We continue to experience ups and downs in the effort of building up our area for the future, reminding us of just how fragile things can be.
Only a few weeks after Cleveland-Cliffs announced its plans to bring a transformer manufacturing facility to Weirton, resulting in approximately 600 jobs in the Half Moon Industrial Park, we learned this week that one of our area's newer neighbors has opted to depart our community.
Pure Watercraft has closed up shop in the Beech Bottom Industrial Park, according to state, local and company officials.
While the company is not quite ready to discuss the exact reason behind the decision to shutter the operation in southern Brooke County, from what state officials have indicated, it was a financial matter. During an interview with MetroNews Thursday morning, Mitch Carmichael, secretary of the state Department of Economic Development, reported the Washington-based company apparently ran out of the necessary capital to continue operations, despite receiving more than 900 orders for its electric pontoon boats.
It may be some time before we get the full story, but the concern until then should be on the workers. Plans had called for around 100 employees to work locally. I don't know how close the company was to reaching that number, but we now have area residents who are looking for new employment.
Hopefully, they are able to have the necessary support until they line up a new position.
It seems as if, despite the efforts of many, that is something we continue to see in our area. We take five steps forward, and then fall back three. We get good news of 600 jobs created in the next couple of years, only to have up to 100 lost without much warning.
There was a lot of hope for Pure Watercraft. When the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held about 14 months ago, there was a great deal of excitement within that area of the industrial park. The company offered demonstrations on the Ohio River of one of their boats, and it was incredible to experience how smooth is operated and how fast it was able to move.
I'm not sure how, or if, the company will be able to move forward from here. Maybe it just wasn't the right time, and perhaps things will go better a little farther down the road for them.
For our area, I hope something new is found in the near future to take up the area Pure had been inhabiting for the last year. It would be a shame for so much investment to take place, only for it to sit empty for the long term.
Meanwhile, we will watch over the next couple of years for the new transformer facility to get up and running, we see Form Energy gearing up for the full start of production this year (as well as its planned expansion later on) and possibly other opportunities.
That's one of the amazing things about our region. The people of the Upper Ohio Valley know how to keep moving ahead. It may seem as if we've lost all hope, but we find ways to take care of each other. We work together to keep our communities moving.
There are others looking out for us, too, and, from the bits and pieces I've been hearing lately, even with this latest challenge, things are going to be looking much brighter for us in the years to come.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @ChowellWDT)