Login

Register

megs 2024 banner

WVMAConn 2023 1040x150 2

bpchairCharleston, W.Va. – Bob Pepper, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc., presided over his first meeting as the newly elected chair of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA) Board of Directors last week. Pepper, a 35-year veteran in automotive parts manufacturing, has been with NGK since 2007, and previously served as director of Manufacturing Administration. He is responsible for all North American manufacturing and OEM/OES distribution, with locations in Irvine, Calif., and Sissonville, W.Va. His experience includes roles with Chrysler, Textron Automotive and Webasto Roof Systems, as well as NGK.

“Manufacturing is on the rise in West Virginia,” said Pepper. “I am pleased to serve as chair of the WVMA as we work toward addressing issues that are critical to industry growth including workforce and education issues, as well as state policy issues that affect manufacturers.” 

The West Virginia Manufacturers Association and DuPont have partnered to host API 570 Piping Inspection Training April 27-May 4.
 
This eight-day course will be presented by Code West at the Belle Community Center, Belle, West Virginia (just 10 minutes east of the WVMA office in Charleston). Registration for WVMA members is $1,495 per individual participant ($1,995 for non-members). This represents a $5,000 savings when compared to Code West's onsite trainings in Texas, AND provides a significant savings on travel related expenses for attendees.
 
To take advantage of this opportunity please reserve your space no later than Tuesday, March 17, 2015 by emailing your name, company, billing address, and phone number to patty@wvma.com. Space is limited so reservations are first-come first-serve.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A report by the Economic Policy Institute says the average manufacturing worker makes nearly $3 more an hour than other workers in West Virginia.

The report says that the average manufacturing worker makes $19.02 an hour compared with $16.31 for other workers. That's an annual wage difference of more than $5,600 a year.

Manufacturing jobs make up more than 6 percent of total state employment in West Virginia. Nationally, West Virginia ranks 35th in the country by share of manufacturing jobs. In total numbers, West Virginia ranks 39th in manufacturing jobs with 48,500.

Manufacturers and distributors have a compelling self-interest to educate value chain members and other communities on chemicals process safety, distribution and use, says Cal Dooley, president of the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

“I think it is increasingly important for manufacturers and distributors in the chemicals sector to be working together to ensure that we are contributing to the safest production, distribution and use of chemicals in commerce,” he says.

Dooley, a keynote speaker at this year’s NACD annual meeting, says the pressing need for cooperation is increasingly apparent because the entire chemicals value chain so often is held hostage by events beyond its control.