Japanese materials firm Somar will build an epoxy resins plant in Wood County, W. Va.
Epoxies made at the plant will be used in the automotive market, according to a June 3 news release from the office of Gov. Jim Justice. The new facility will use an existing building in Wood County's Polymer Alliance Zone Industrial Park.
Tokyo-based Somar will invest at least $2.5 million in the project, which will create 25 jobs. Somar's customers include Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. "This strategic move by Somar marks a significant investment in West Virginia's burgeoning automotive and polymer sectors," state officials said in the release.
West Virginia "has quickly become a great home for global manufacturers, because we make it very easy for them to succeed," Justice said. "Small businesses are the backbone of the Mountain State, and we'll continue to support them in every way possible."
Somar "evaluated several options for our U.S. manufacturing facility, and West Virginia's proposals and services were the best among them," President Futoshi Sotani said in the release. "By leasing an existing building in the PAZ park, we can start production and begin serving our U.S. customers promptly."
Somar was founded in 1948. The company makes a wide range of specialty chemicals and films.