HarbisonWalker International (HWI) broke ground for construction of its state-of-the-art monolithic refractories manufacturing facility at The Point Industrial Park in South Point, Lawrence County, Ohio. HWI expects initial capacity at the plant, which will be operational by early 2018, to be approximately 80,000 metric tons per year. The facility will feature state-of-the-art automation and technology and will utilize new lean techniques throughout its operations to maximize material-flow efficiency and production.

HWI announced in February 2017 that it would invest $30 million to build a technologically advanced monolithics plant as the next step in its strategy to continuously improve performance and respond to customers’ needs. The company will begin posting job descriptions and requirements for plant leadership positions this summer. The plant will employ highly trained and highly skilled technicians and staff in a team-based environment. In addition, it will introduce advanced packaging technologies that are new to the North American market.

—The 18th China(Guangzhou)Int’l Heat Treatment, Industrial Furnace Exhibition