SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — A Sissonville facility already home to more than 500 Niterra jobs is expanding.
Niterra North America, formerly known as NGK Spark Plugs USA, officially broke ground on the expansion project planned for its Kanawha County campus.
Governor Jim Justice attended the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, joining Niterra’s Regional President and CEO Michael Schwab. Justice said this investment from Niterra further enhances the company’s dedication to West Virginia.
“Niterra’s continued investment in our state is an incredible testament to the West Virginia community we’ve built together,” Gov. Justice said. “West Virginia is now regarded around the world as the best place to start a business, expand a business, and to live, work, and raise a family.
Company officials said the Sissonville campus expansion will add 75,000 square feet of space and approximately 30 new job opportunities, adding on to the 500 full-time and 70 temporary positions that already exist.
“This expansion will create new job opportunities and contribute to the economic growth and prosperity in Sissonville in a major way, so we thank Niterra from the bottom of our hearts for their commitment to West Virginia,” Justice said.
The campus in Sissonville, which was established in 1994, is home to the NGK Spark Plug and NTK oxygen sensor assembly plants. President Schwab said they are committed to more economic growth for Sissonville and the state of West Virginia.
“As we break ground, we are also breaking through,” Schwab said. “We embrace the future with open arms and embrace the potential of this project to bring about positive change.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Niterra was able to keep on all of their workers, ensuring no layoffs or furloughs took place. They even compensated their employees for volunteer work done in the community during that time.
“We are dedicated to investing in our employees and the communities in which we operate and are excited about this expansion in our operations,” said Schwab.
Secretary of the WV Department of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael was also at Tuesday’s ceremony.
“We have seen much growth throughout the years and can’t wait to watch Niterra continue to help with providing jobs and stability to our hard-working citizens,” he said.
Niterra also announced a partnership with One Tree Planted. During the groundbreaking ceremony, a commemorative tree was planted on the expanded campus. The company announced they plan to donate 1,000 trees to the community.