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WEIRTON -- With the announcement of plans for a new transformer manufacturing facility and up to 600 new jobs in the community, area officials see the potential for continued growth in the region.
"I think it's a great day in Weirton," said Mayor Harold "Bubba" Miller, following Monday's press conference during which officials with Cleveland-Cliffs and state government announced a planned $150 million investment to bring a transformer manufacturing facility to one of the company's warehouses in the Half Moon Industrial Park.
The project, which is expected to begin operation in the first half of 2026, is slated to provide approximately 600 jobs.
"It's been a long time coming. I'm glad these guys stuck to it and are making it happen," Miller said, adding the community has seen various events and announcements, which he referred to as "dog and pony shows," over the years, where groups have made big announcements only to underperform or not deliver at all.
In the last few years, though, he said there has been a change where people in Charleston, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, have been taking notice of Weirton and what is possible in the city and surrounding communities.
"I think people are getting the message now," Miller said.
The announcement came only a few months after Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would be idling its tinplate production in Weirton, resulting in the loss of around 900 jobs.
Brenda Mull, president of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce, applauded the announcement, saying it brings continued hope for the community and its residents.
"I think it's the best thing that could happen to Weirton," Mull said. "It's the shot in the arm we needed."
While officials with Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers expressed excitement for the possibility of the new jobs to be created, they weren't the only laborers looking forward to the project.
Kevan Brown, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 246 in Steubenville, said he's "excited to see what (the development) is going to bring for the area."
"Let's get it going. Let's get it moving as soon as possible. We need to work on re-homing some of the workers who were affected by the layoffs from Cliffs."
Brown said his local union will be involved with construction of the facility and intends to be involved with Cleveland-Cliffs "as much as possible."
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sent representatives to Monday's announcement, with Manchin and Brown also releasing comments to the media Monday.
"Today's announcement is incredible news for Cleveland-Cliffs, the United Steelworkers, the people of Weirton, and all of West Virginia," said Manchin. "Distribution transformers are absolutely critical components of our nation's power grid and this project is a great opportunity to position our state as a global leader in their production while reemploying hardworking West Virginians who lost their jobs earlier this year. I'm grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly to find a solution for this site and I am excited to see West Virginia continue to play an essential role in our energy and manufacturing industries."
Brown pointed to work undertaken in Congress to address regulatory concerns within the Department of Energy, saying those moves were instrumental in making the project possible.
"Because of our work to correct the Department of Energy's misguided transformer rule, we are bringing new industry and new jobs to the Ohio Valley," said Brown. "Our government let down these skilled, dedicated Steelworkers by failing to enforce our trade laws - but we never gave up working to bring steel jobs back to this mill. I'll always fight for Ohio workers and the Ohio Valley, and I'll always stand up to any administration's misguided policy that hurts workers and manufacturers."