SIMONTON WIDOWS LOOKING TO EXPAND - Calhoun Location Discounted

(06/15/2005)
Simonton Windows, the well-known West Virginia window manufacturer, will hire 75 more workers at its plant in McAlester, Oklahoma and is looking at other expansion to increase production.

Simonton recently explored the idea of using Calhoun's former B. F. Goodrich plant, the old NYA building above Grantsville, but reportedly discounted the idea because of having to transport products over crooked and narrow Route 16 north to their Ritchie County plants.

The former Goodrich facility has been made available without cost, provided the transaction would provide jobs to Calhoun residents.

Simonton has three West Virginia plants in Pennsboro, Harrisville and Ellenboro.

The company employees about 400 workers.

Plant Manager Steve Fairfield says officials want to go up to 550 employees.

The plant makes about 1,900 finished products a day, and Fairfield says the goal is to increase to about 3,500 finished products.

The company has plants in Paris, Illinois; Bradenton, Florida and Vacaville, California.

www.simonton.com