ROCKWOOL in the community

A global company with local community values, ROCKWOOL takes pride in being a good neighbor and an integral part of every community in which we work. While we understand that doesn’t happen overnight, the below outline the three primary ways that we are delivering on our promise of helping the Jefferson County community thrive.

A positive economic impact in the region

We are proud to be a positive and contributing member of the Jefferson County community. For starters, the economic impact of a new manufacturing facility in West Virginia goes well beyond the fences of the ROCKWOOL factory.

According to the West Virginia Manufacturer’s Association, manufacturing employs approximately seven percent of the workforce and for every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.40 is added to the economy. That figure makes manufacturing provide the highest level of downstream economic benefits of any sector.

Based on our own experiences in North America and around the world – and independent expert economic modelling – we can say that the new manufacturing facility will generate local employment, revenue for local business, and additional household income and taxes for municipal projects.

Don't have time to read the full page right now? No problem. For your convenience you can download a PDF version of our Community and Economic Impact Fact Sheet and get the information you need.

New local employment

The Ranson facility represents a $203 million investment in the community, in addition to the approximately $64 million in payroll over the next 10 years for the new direct manufacturing jobs created across all trades (from the production line to management and supervisors). All but a small handful of these positions that have requirements for specialized skills are expected to be filled by area residents.

For every direct job we hire for at the plant, there’s typically an additional job created in service, technical, trucking, and manufacturing of raw materials jobs – an estimated $5 million annually in local economic activity, largely due to an increased demand for services. For starters, the economic impact of a new manufacturing facility in West Virginia goes well beyond the fences of the ROCKWOOL factory.

New opportunities for local businesses

Around 90 percent of our business is local meaning that we produce close to our customers and we are dedicated to building supplier relationships and sourcing products and services from businesses across Jefferson County and the region.

This includes opportunities for full-time and seasonal contracts that will be provided across areas such as catering and food services, cleaning, landscaping, maintenance and trade services, and waste removal, among other areas. For more information and to submit an application for your business, visit our vendor and supplier application page.

A new source of tax revenue

Our new Ranson facility is contributing to a broader tax base to support publicly-funded activities and priorities in the county. Under the sale-leaseback agreement with the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, ROCKWOOL has promised to make at least $2,752,600 in voluntary contribution payments during the first ten years of operations. Beginning in year 11 of factory operations, we will be paying approximately $1 million annually.

Our tax dollars, including B&O taxes, will be utilized to support such public services as the Ranson Police Department and Parks & Recreation. In addition, roughly 75 percent of the property taxes collected for Jefferson County are distributed to the Jefferson County Board of Education – representing approximately 40 percent of the school system’s budget. There is also a portion that is used by the State of West Virginia as part of the General Revenue Budget.

People working together, doing their jobs, teamwork, plant operations at the production manufacturing factory facility in Milton, ON

Manufacturing and production job opportunities at ROCKWOOL

In Ranson, we have jobs in operations, engineering, maintenance and trades, and site leadership.

Working at ROCKWOOL

We are a market-leading, global company with a proud 80-year history of innovation. Our products have a positive impact on global challenges like climate change and urbanization, and so can you. When you join ROCKWOOL Group, you become part of a global market leader in sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Are you up for the challenge? We’re looking for talented individuals just like you.

Supporting local suppliers

As the facility gets up and running, we’ll be looking for local suppliers to support a variety of needs, including catering and food services, cleaning, freight, landscaping and snow removal, and waste removal.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park stock photo, Ranson, Jefferson County, West Virginia (WV) - RAN5 manufacturing plant facility project

A Community Partner

For ROCKWOOL, building and operating a production facility is a long-term investment and we focus on making a significant, positive and enduring impact in the communities in which we operate through active investment in infrastructure and programs that support the wellbeing and prosperity of people.

We’re proud to foster a positive environment and empower a workforce that delivers solutions that aim to enhance modern living for people and the planet.
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Supporting local programs, charities and causes

ROCKWOOL North America has made philanthropy and corporate social responsibility an integral part of our mandate since opening our first manufacturing facility and North American headquarters in Milton, Ontario, Canada in 1988. Our employees are also very engaged with volunteering for causes near and dear to them as well, which we fully endorse.

In Jefferson County, we’re continuing that legacy. We're proud to be an active member of the community and are pleased to invest in infrastructure and programs that support the wellbeing and prosperity of the local area, home to many current and future employees of the Ranson facility.

We strongly believe in the importance of good stewardship of community relationships and have already partnered to date with a number of local organizations in the area including: 

  • The Shepherdstown Fire Department
  • Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital 
  • Jefferson County Community Ministries 
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • The Rotary Club of Charles Town 
  • WVU Medicine Children's Hospital 

For more information, download our ROCKWOOL Corporate Social Responsibility Fact Sheet.

West Virginia, Welcome road sign
Charitable giving and volunteerism are an important part of our corporate culture at ROCKWOOL. We’re proud to continue to invest in infrastructure and programs that support the wellbeing of the communities where we live and work. It’s a privilege to be able to give back in this way.

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Keep up-to-date on news and announcements, project information, and job postings from the ROCKWOOL development in Ranson, Jefferson County by subscribing to our Newsletter.

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Maintaining open and honest communications

For ROCKWOOL, building factories is a major long-term investment. With a 30-year history in North America, we’ve made a meaningful impact in each of the communities in which we operate by focusing on nurturing open, lasting relationships with our neighbors. 

At all times, we look to engage in constructive, open-minded and transparent ways with the people of Ranson and Jefferson County. From the beginning, we have worked to ensure that neighbors were informed about the development project, which included a broad communications outreach program.

Following the selection of the 130-acre site location in Ranson, WV to build the plant, a series of outreach communications were shared with the community regarding our multi-million dollar plant investment. This included information in the form of postcards, tri-fold brochures, and news articles published through the Jefferson County Development Authority, the Shepherdstown Chronicle, the Spirit of Jefferson, and The Journal, among others.

Our focus on transparency is also why we built this comprehensive ROCKWOOL Ranson website to provide information about the facility including environmental and health information.   We have also held a number of community events where local residents have been encouraged to ask us questions in person.  

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Our Facebook community is part of our commitment to engage in an open dialogue with local residents. Get access to the latest news and announcements, and information about our new facility in West Virginia.

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Our history in North America

We opened our first factory in North America in Milton, Ontario, Canada in 1988. Since then we have started operations in additional facilities in Grand Forks, British Columbia, as well as the opening of our first facility in the United States in 2014 located in Byhalia, a small town within Marshall County, Mississippi.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Riverfront At Dawn

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About ROCKWOOL

Who is ROCKWOOL and what is stone wool insulation?

Founded as a family business, ROCKWOOL has always been committed to strengthening the communities of which we are a part. Today, we are the world’s leading manufacturer of stone wool insulation. Find out about our company history, North American presence, and leadership in the field of fire safety.

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Jobs Opportunities

Manufacturing jobs and employment coming to Jefferson County, WV.

We are proud to be bringing 150 new manufacturing jobs to Ranson that will provide local workers the opportunity to build meaningful careers in manufacturing a product that is used worldwide to create safe and more sustainable living environments. At ROCKWOOL, we offer employees an attractive benefits package, investments in learning and development, and a supportive workplace culture.

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Sustainability

At ROCKWOOL, sustainability is always top of mind.

While manufacturing any product requires using resources, we are focused on ensuring our products leave the smallest footprint possible during production while delivering the biggest benefit during their use. To accomplish this, we have committed to several UN Sustainable Development Goals and are proud to say that during the lifetime of its use, the building insulation we sold in 2018 will save 100 times the carbon emitted in its production.

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Factory Operations and Production

Interested in how the day-to-day operations of our facilities and how our stone wool insulation is made?

ROCKWOOL’s new manufacturing facility will produce stone wool insulation for residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Stone wool is a natural product made mostly from volcanic rocks, which are supplemented with recycled mineral wool and slag from the steel industry during production. Get an inside look at our facilities and how insulation is made.

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Environment

We're protecting the local environment during construction and operations of our manufacturing facility in Ranson.

We have an unbreakable commitment to meeting and exceeding the environmental protection standards set by government and regulators wherever we operate globally, and our facility in WV will be no different. This includes limits established to protect the health of sensitive populations such as children, the elderly and asthmatics, and we continue to invest in state-of-the-art abatement technologies to further reduce any impact.

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Construction and Permitting

We're driving investment in infrastructure to attract more business and development for the years to come.

All permits that have been obtained to date for the Ranson facility have been done in accordance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. We’ve also outlined the site selection process, progress of the development project, and safety procedures that are in place during the construction process.

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