Stinger Welding is a well-known welding company. The company has been working on building a new fabrication plant located in Libby, Montana. Recently, the company was given $17 million dollars to finish the plant.
Construction on the new plant began in 2009. Because of a lack of financing, the plant has yet to be completed. The $17 million came from a program that was designed by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. Thanks to his efforts of profiling the business opportunities in Montana at the Economic Development Summit he held last year to the national investors such as Goldman Sachs Inc, more interest has come to the businesses of Montana.
News that the plant will indeed be finished is a great relief to the Libby community. The community was hit hard by the recession and in recent months has had to face many difficulties. One major difficulty the people of Libby face comes from dealing with asbestos disease that came from the W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine. The other major difficulty is the fact that unemployment has been in the double digits for the last several months. So the fact that a new plant, an infusion of money into the community, and at least 100 new jobs coming is welcome news for Libby.
Many of the unemployed workers in Libby have been leaving to find work in the oil fields in North Dakota. The new jobs that Stinger Welding will be bringing will help to stabilize the economy in Libby. Workers at various skill levels will be hired and wages will range from $13.55 to $16 per hour. There will also be salaried positions available. The Flathead Valley Community College has added welding classes to its locations in Libby and Kalispell. Students can attend these classes and be ready for work when the plant opens.
The new fabrication plant will be 105,000 square feet. It will provide the steel for bridge infrastructure projects. Construction should be completed sometime in August. Production is expected to begin this fall. The major equipment that is required for production will be delivered to the plant over the next two months and will be put into operation as it is delivered.
