“ It is a breath of fresh air to come to a state that welcomes you . West Virginia is business-friendly . It was not a tough decision to come here and open this new facility .”
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE
What the company found in relation to logistics was particularly convincing . “ In Putnam County , we are within 500 miles of 85 percent of our East Coast sales area , which means better shipping times and lower costs for the company ,” says Dill . “ We also have lower-thanaverage inbound and outbound freight costs , easy truck access to major highways with all major freight carriers less than 20 miles away and a rail hub less than 40 miles away .”
Multicoat President Dave Miaetta cited a favorable business climate and the attentiveness of state and local officials in West Virginia as the reasons Multicoat eventually chose to build their new manufacturing facility in the Putnam Business Park in Frazier ’ s Bottom , WV .
“ It is a breath of fresh air to come to a state that welcomes you ,” says Miaetta . “ I ’ ve run Multicoat in California for over 20 years , and it is not business-friendly . West Virginia is businessfriendly . It was not a tough decision to come here and open this new facility .”
A BETTER HOME FOR BUSINESS
Once Multicoat made the decision to expand its manufacturing operations in Putnam County , the company moved quickly to begin construction in the Putnam Business Park . The park , one of 13 business parks in the county , is the most recent development project of the PCDA . Currently home to six businesses , which employ approximately 300 people , the park is still growing .
“ Currently , we have approximately 17 acres of shovel-ready sites with roads completed and all utilities available at the site ,” says Drew Dunlap , executive director of the PCDA . “ A company could immediately begin building in that portion of the park . We are also simultaneously developing Phase II and Phase III of the park . In the last few years , we have carried out road improvements , earthwork and a significant utility extension that provides water , gas , sewer and electric to the newer sections of the park .”
The park is home to a variety of different types of companies , including Tasty Blend , a producer of dry mixes and prepared food products such as Teays Valley Biscuit Mix , and Nippon Thermostat of America Corp ., a manufacturer of thermostats for the automotive industry .
“ Multicoat is our newest tenant and is exactly the type of business we target with our marketing and attraction efforts — smalland medium-sized manufacturers with high growth potential ,” says Dunlap .
A FOCUS ON GROWTH
Once the new manufacturing space was operational , the West Virginia branch of the company was finally able to begin focusing on additional growth . Multicoat recently formed a new contracting division , BNA Construction , to install the products Multicoat manufactures . In 2016 , BNA Construction purchased The Glass Block Place , a company that provides block used for basement window replacements and other applications where natural light and privacy are needed .
Multicoat also began exploring markets outside the U . S . and developed an international marketing and sales strategy with assistance from the U . S . Department of Commerce and the West Virginia Development Office . In 2014 , the company began shipping products to Jamaica . By 2015 , it had expanded its reach to Canada , China , Costa Rica , Greece , Japan , Mexico and the United Arab Emirates , and sales were up more than 30 percent and climbing , according to Dill . In recognition of this feat , the company was awarded the Governor ’ s International Market Entry Award in 2016 .
A PERFECT FIT
Today , the new facility in the Putnam Business Park provides more than 25,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space and 3,000 square feet of office space . The structure is situated on the site to allow for an additional 40,000-square-foot expansion that is already in the planning stages . In addition , the number of employees at Multicoat has grown from five in 2014 to more than 20 , with plans to eventually exceed 30 at the Putnam County facility .
According to Dill , building the company ’ s expanded manufacturing facility in Putnam County was the best decision Multicoat could have made . “ I like being in a business park environment ,” he says . “ There is an active maintenance association and protective covenants to protect property values . Most importantly , the various local and state government bodies and their contacts at the federal level care about our success and work hard to make sure we have what we need to grow .”
Above and beyond the business considerations of the decision , Dill says one of the most important factors is that Putnam County is simply a great place to live and raise a family .
According to the U . S . Census Bureau , Putnam County is the only county in the region that has recorded population growth every census since 1970 . “ People want to live here for many reasons ,” says Dunlap . “ Residents enjoy high-quality affordable housing , cutting-edge health care and a lot of different recreational opportunities . Our primary and secondary schools are consistently nationally ranked , and that ’ s a huge draw . These are the kind of things that make it easy to say yes to Putnam County .”
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