Mersen USA to expand in Salem with a $5.7 million investment

Mersen USA, a subsidiary of France-based Mersen SA, will expand operations in Salem with a $5.7 million investment that will relocate one of the company’s business divisions and create 50 new jobs.

The Salem facility designs and manufactures graphite and silicon carbide heat for highly corrosive and high-temperature fluids and skid systems. The project will expand Mersen’s skid systems capacity, as well as relocate the company’s reactive metal equipment manufacturing business from California to Salem.

Speaking about Tuesday’s announcement, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a statement that, “Creating good jobs in the advanced-manufacturing sector is a central part of growing and diversifying Virginia’s economy. This announcement is significant for a locality that is aggressively trying to rebound economically …”

Currently, the Mersen plant employs about 80 people.

“Mersen USA chose Salem for this expansion of our systems and relocation of our U.S. reactive metals equipment fabrication businesses because the city of Salem has always provided a business friendly environment, and the community provides skilled and dedicated employees,” said Shawn Malone, president, Mersen USA, Chemical Equipment Division.  “We have been operating in Salem since 1986 without regret, and are especially proud of recently achieving 2,000 days without a lost time accident and expect to pass our previous record of 3,000 days as we expand and grow. Mersen has not achieved this sort of safety record anywhere else in the world …”

Mersen USA designs solutions that enable clients to optimize manufacturing processes in sectors such as energy, transportation, electronics, chemical, pharmaceutical and process industries.

The parent company has manufacturing facilities in 35 countries, employs more than 6,000, and reported 2013 sales of 739 million euros ($628 million). Established in 1940, Mersen USA has nine production sites in seven states.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Salem and the Roanoke Regional Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. Gov. McAuliffe approved a $140,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund.

The Virginia Jobs Investment Program will provide funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities.