FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2014
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Press Contacts: Anna Bentson Lynchburg Office of Economic Development (434) 444-1618 |
Robin Markins Porter’s Fabrication (434) 841-1128 |
Lynchburg, VA – On Friday, May 9th, the City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development and the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority will co-host the Grand Opening of Porter’s Fabrication and welcome this great American company to Lynchburg. Governor Terry McAuliffe and Charles Saleh, CEO of Porter’s Fabrication, will speak at the event which will include a tour of the facility and will include a catered lunch. Members of the press and the business community are invited to contact the Office of Economic Development, Anna Bentson, 434-455-4493 or Robin Markins, 434-841-1128. The event will take place at 3726 Cohen Place, Lynchburg, VA at 11:00 a.m.
“We are very proud to welcome Porter’s to Lynchburg,” said H. Michael Lucado, chair of the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority. “This dynamic and forward-thinking company will be a perfect fit for our city, with its leading edge industry and amazing educational institutions. Porter’s arrival reiterates the City of Lynchburg’s commitment to positive and permanent growth.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development and Lynchburg Economic Development Authority to secure the project for Virginia. A $300,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund was approved to assist Lynchburg with the project.
Porter’s has four manufacturing facilities with a total of approximately 500,000 square feet. They employ 550 employees, with 120 expected to be in Lynchburg, and process approximately 40 million pounds of steel annually. The Lynchburg location, the former Diebold plant, was purchased in 2013. Lynchburg will produce a wide range of precision sheet metal products for the ATM market and physical security market. “We at Porter’s are excited to be in Lynchburg where we have been received with a positive and can-do attitude. We compete internationally and we want to bring more jobs back to the USA and to Lynchburg,” said Charles Saleh, CEO of Porter’s. “With the great help that we have received from the city as well as the state, we are looking at the future as a great opportunity. We like to service our customers second to none and we like to take care of our employees as our most important asset. Our plan is to keep on growing and to run our plant here with 24/7 operation.”
With over 3,900 businesses ranging from traditional mom-and-pop shops to headquarters of global corporations, Lynchburg is the commercial, cultural, entertainment, residential and retail hub of the Central Virginia region. The broad-based economy, highly-skilled workforce and unparalleled quality of life have positioned Lynchburg among the cities leading the nation into the New Economy.
About the City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development and the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority The Lynchburg Office of Economic Development, or LOED, is the City of Lynchburg’s economic development agency. With decades of combined experience, LOED staff leads business retention, expansion and new business development initiatives for the City. The Lynchburg Economic Development Authority, or LEDA, is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia and serves as the incentive arm of the City of Lynchburg. LEDA actively pursues investment and development opportunities, and elevates the economic development profile of the City.
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