Marshall's Biotechnology Science Center Dedicated

Marshall University today dedicated the $48 million Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center. The 144,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features teaching laboratories, high-tech classrooms, an imaging facility with powerful microscopes, mass spectrometer and chromatography suites. The new biotechnology center will provide Marshall students and faculty with a hands-on, futuristic learning environment with cutting-edge technology and equipment.

Bayer Plant To Undergo $35 Million Modernization

Bayer MaterialSciences is poised to invest $30 million to $35 million in modernizing its New Martinsville plant over the next several years. Company officials say production will continue even as contractors undertake major overhauls at the polyether production facility. Nearly $8 million will be used to provide state-of-the-art computerized control for the entire formulated systems production process from raw material receipt to final product shipment. The project, developed along the principles of Six Sigma, is designed to improve the flexibility of the unit to address future needs of a dynamic marketplace, according to a company press release.

Expansion Possible With State Farm Office Move

State Farm Insurance announced today that it will relocate its Kanawha Valley Operations Center to Charleston from its current location in Dunbar, West Virginia. State Farm will lease 21,000-square-feet of office space in the Columbia Gas Transmission building on MacCorkle Avenue in Charleston for its new operations center. The move, which will affect about 85 employees, will begin in September and is expected to be completed by November 1st. The move to Charleston will also merge the company's claims operations with its Metro Valley agency field office, which is currently located in Teays Valley.

Company officials say the move will allow State Farm to consolidate its claims and agency functions in one location, and will also provide additional space for possible expansion of the claims operations in the future.

Belgian Company Opening U.S. Center In Charleston

A new Belgium-based company has selected Charleston for its first United States operations. Industrial Projects Services USA Corp., which operates offices throughout Europe, provides assessment, strategies consultation and project management services to the steel, aluminum, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, energy and paper industries. The company will be housed at the Charleston Area Alliance in downtown Charleston until a permanent site is selected next year. The company will employ 10 engineers and architects and invest $3 million within three years by building its own competence center, which will provide space for training employees and other industry professionals and conference space for industry events.

IPS USA Corp.’s parent company, Group-IPS S.A., was founded in 1992 and has managed projects for Arcelor, Corus Aluminum, Coil, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen and others