David E. Malloy/The Herald-Dispatch Jennmar McSweeney, located at The Point industrial park in South Point, is answering the coal slump by working to diversify its products. The company plans to maintain its 150 jobs and possibly add a few more this year.
David E. Malloy/The Herald-Dispatch Jennmar McSweeney, located at The Point industrial park in South Point, is answering the coal slump by working to diversify its products. The company plans to maintain its 150 jobs and possibly add a few more this year.
SOUTH POINT, Ohio - Despite a slump in the coal industry, Jennmar McSweeney at The Point industrial park in South Point is looking to maintain its 150 jobs and possibly add a few more this year.
"We've seen a decline in the coal sales side from last year, but we're trying to diversify," said Sandy Blackburn, co-chief executive with her brother, Joe McSweeney. "We would like to expand our machine shop. That would mean more equipment and could mean two to five more jobs."
Their father, Larry McSweeney, founded McSweeney's in 1967 at a location along Little Solida Road in South Point.
"They're a prime example of a home grown business that does the extra mile," said Bill Dingus, executive director of the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation, which is overseeing development in the 500-acre industrial park. "Their roots are in Lawrence County. Their employees view them as part of their family. They really care."
When the company decided several years ago to move to the former Chatham Steel building in the industrial park, Joe and Sandy wanted to make sure their employees had a nice break room and other amenities, Dingus said.
"The drill steel business has been our bread and butter" from the beginning, Blackburn said. The company did a lot of machine work for local industries over the years, she said. "We're a forging machine company," Blackburn said.
"We lean heavily on the coal industry," she said. The company also does business with the railroad industry, road construction and supplies snow plow blades for Caterpillar, she said.
"We have other suppliers," she said. The company makes hand holds and other items for rail cars and grader blades for the construction business, among others, Blackburn said.
The company expanded the building and warehouse before starting operations in the industrial park in 2013, said Jeremy Clay, director of The Point. The building has two overhead cranes, he said.
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