Crucial operations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration are only the beginning of what’s going on at I-79
Technology Park in north-central West Virginia.
Cariflex broke ground July 28 at a 15-acre site in Jurong Island where
it will construct the world’s largest and Singapore’s first polyisoprene
latex plant. Surgical gloves and condoms represent the key end markets
for the product. “We are strategically locating our new state-of-the-art
manufacturing facility here in Singapore, at the doorstep of our key
customers,” said Prakash Kolluri, CEO of Cariflex. “We value Singapore
not only for its ability to foster a thriving financial hub, but also
for its dedication to develop innovation, trade and logistical hubs.
With a highly educated and skilled workforce, Singapore offers strong
protection for intellectual property rights within the country’s
politically stable framework. Additionally, the Jurong Island ecosystem,
with all of the existing infrastructure and services as well as support
from Singapore’s Economic Development Board and other government
agencies, gave us confidence in our investment decision in Singapore.”
Cariflex is a subsidiary of Singapore-based DL Chemical Co., which is in
turn part of Korea-based DL Group. The company also has expanded
capacity at manufacturing locations in Brazil and Japan, including a $50
million doubling of polyisoprene latex capacity last year at its
Paulinia plant in Brazil.
Forza X1, an electric-powered boat and motor manufacturer that is a
division of Fort Pierce, Florida–based Twin Vee PowerCats, will build a
new manufacturing facility in Marion in McDowell County, investing $10.5
million into the project and creating 170 jobs. The average annual wage
for employees will be $51,047, 30% higher than $39,071, the average wage
for McDowell County. The company announced that it expects the North
Carolina Department of Commerce to finalize an incentive package in a
Community Economic Development Agreement (CEDA) that could reimburse
more than $1.3 million over 12 years via the state’s Job Development
Investment Grant (JDIG) program. Forza also expects to partner with the
North Carolina Community College System’s customized training program.
Local support from McDowell County has included environmental site
assessment, a boundary survey and a wetlands report. “It is expected
McDowell County will also provide a variety of infrastructure support
for the manufacturing facility, including a paved entrance road, rough
grading and clearing of land, preliminary civil engineering services for
site layout, utilities, waived water and sewer connection fees and
expedited permitting,” the company said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will host a free
virtual BLS Data Users Conference on Wednesday, August 17,
with presenters including BLS Commissioner William Beach
(pictured), experts from the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia and more. Titled “Labor market demographics, disparities
and regional growth,” the conference will deliver
the latest information on the U.S. labor market. Among the
presentations will be a talk by Paul Flora, manager of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Research Department,
who analyzes the economies of Austin, Cleveland, Las Vegas
and Pittsburgh through a smart growth lens. “Ranking them by
growth may mislead you,” says the conference program.
“Sometimes, a region with a shrinking population does
better.”
Tomorrow, August 9, at 11:02 a.m. local time marks the 77th anniversary
of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, located on the
western coast of Kyushu in the country’s southwest region, killing tens
of thousands of civilians. “Today, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
alongside Peace Park, Hypocenter Park, and the Nagasaki National Peace
Memorial Hall are some of the most important sites in the city that help
people learn about the tragic event of the atomic bombing, and to
promote a world free of nuclear weapons,” says the Nagasaki Prefecture
Convention and Tourism Association. The city today also is known for one
of the best night views in Japan, pictured here from the top of Mt.
Konpira looking over the city and its harbor. According to the Manhattan
Project report and the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the topography of
the Urakami Valley partially sheltered the port city from the blast.
During the country’s “Sakoku” era of national isolation from 1639 to
1853 in the Edo period, a man-made island in Nagasaki Port called
“Dejima,” home to the Japanese trading post for the Dutch East India
Company, was the only port open to foreign trade.
