RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — The future of manufacturing is well underway at the Timet construction site in Jackson County.
Timet, which is short for Titanium Metals Corporation, is building a plant where it will use large furnaces to melt titanium.
“It’s lighter than steel but stronger and it’s used in aerospace, Department of Defense-type work, commercial industrial applications as well as medical applications,” Timet Director of Operations Aaron Valentine said Tuesday at a media event at the construction site along Route 2 just a few miles from Ravenswood.
Timet, a Precision Castparts Corporation company-linked to Berkshire Hathaway, hopes to begin the melting process in the first quarter of 2025, Valentine said.
“Our final product here will be titanium ingots, cast pieces of titanium, that we’ll ship to our mill in Toronto, Ohio, and there they will actually mill out different product forms for our customers,” Valentine said.
Currently at the 50-acre flat site there are several large holes and large cranes where contractors are pouring concrete for the foundations of the large furnace pits.
Renewable energy component
The reason Timet chose Ravenswood is directly linked to the Berkshire Hathaway Renewables solar energy facility being constructed across Route 2.
“Our role is to provide them the power, give them a percentage of their power that is renewable and to allow them to have a mixture of both regular sources of energy and renewable sources as well,” BH Renewables Project Manager Vic Sprouse said.
Valentine said the plant will get its power from the world’s largest microgrid and will be the world’s first titanium facility powered by renewable energy.
“It’s very important for Timet and for our customers and stakeholders in the business. It’s real important for us as a company to have sustainable, reliable energy to power our processes,” Valentine said.
There’s a total of 2,000 acres that can be developed between the two sites.
Jobs available
Timet is hiring, according to HR manager Hannah Hesson.
“Right now we’re looking for a lot of engineers, technical people that we can get in here and really let them own this project from dirt to building,” Hesson told MetroNews Tuesday. “They will be our legacy knowledge. They will be the ones we rely on so it’s important they come into the space as quickly as possible.”
There are also a number of hourly positions available. Hesson said those hired as operators will be sent to other Timet facilities to train.
“We don’t want to wait until we have a building and are ready to start the training process. We’re looking right now, seeking applications every day, to find the right fit for our team,” Hesson said.
The company hopes to begin operations with 200 employees.
Timet will host a community open house in Spencer on June 24 at Heritage Park Community Building from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The right place
Valentine said Ravenswood and Jackson County is the right place for Timet for a number of reasons.
“This area has a real rich history of supporting aerospace and other industrial applications, a good workforce, a good community. We’re hoping to compliment what exists and we hope to build on that,” he said.
Timet has a handful of melting facilities around the world. Valentine said the Ravenswood facility will use the latest in technology.
“It’s going to be best-in-class, cutting-edge technology,” he said. “We’ll take what works so well at the other sites and what makes Timet a leading producer of titanium, we’ll build on that, that existing technology and know how, and we’re looking to leverage that and build the best in class here in Ravenswood.”