UDA Director Says Prime 6 Is a ‘Great Fit’ for Buckhannon and Upshur County; Plus How to Apply

BUCKHANNON – The executive director of the Upshur County Development Authority said Thursday that the Buckhannon-Upshur area has never been home to a company as unique as Prime 6.

At the same time, UCDA Director Brandon Tenney said Prime 6 – an innovator in high-performance, clean fuels for the hospitality industry featured on the television show “Shark Tank” – would be a perfect fit for the local economy.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice’s office announced Prime 6’s plans to invest $35 million to create a manufacturing facility on the former Novelis site, which is expected to create about 75 jobs.

“Given the workforce we’ve attracted here, it makes sense for a manufacturing company to be in this location, and there’s a large lumber industry in our area, and obviously that’s going to be a demand for Prime 6,” Tenney said. “To have those resources readily available, it just makes sense to have such a great fit.”

Tenney added that Prime 6 is a unique industry that will distinguish Upshur County.

“I think it’s a great thing that we’re bringing them to Upshur County,” he said. “It’s something that you won’t find everywhere, and it just sets us apart, once again.”

Most importantly, Tenney said, the investment will help restore about 80 jobs created when the Novelis plant on Route 20 South officially closed in June of this year.

“It means a lot to the county and the impact will be huge,” Tenney said. “Seventy-five jobs in Upshur County is just an invaluable resource that we absolutely need.”

“The impact of the jobs that will be created here and some of the other resources and what they will be able to offer is just amazing for Upshur County,” he added. “We are excited to continue to work with them and continue to work with the state Department of Economic Development to just continue to work on this plan.”

Tenney said Prime 6 is also prioritizing hiring former Novelis employees.

Tenney said anyone who lost their job since Novelis closed should send him their resume and contact information directly at [email protected].

“Be sure to state that you were a former Novelis employee,” he said.

Prime 6 and Novelis also kept in touch.

“I know some of the Novelis and Prime 6 teams have been talking, and one of the questions that came up was about job losses and who is still available in terms of labor,” Tenney said. “I know some of the Novelis employees have found other jobs, but Prime 6 is excited to try to get those jobs back,” he said.

“Anyone who has any questions on this can submit them to UCDA and I will contact Riki (Franco, Prime 6 founder and CEO) to show them the staff we have,” he added.

According to its website, Prime 6 is known for its unique approach to recycling wood waste, which allows it to transform it into high-quality products for the hospitality industry. All of its products are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tenney explained how Upshur County attracted Prime 6, saying the West Virginia Office of Economic Development inquired about the site with certain specifications.

“They got to work right away and connected Prime 6 with us and the company, and Riki (Franco, CEO/founder) was able to come in for a site visit, and when she came in, she really fell in love with the place,” Tenney said. “She loved everything about the place. She loved the place, she loved the county.”

“She liked all the resources and potential here, so kudos to Secretary (West Virginia Economic Development) Carmichael and his team, and to Prime 6 for being open to this location.”

Tenney hopes the Prime 6 localization is “just the beginning.”

“There is a possibility that this will have a snowball effect,” he said.