MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 330,000-square-foot Mountaintop Beverage Facility in the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP) is running at about two-thirds capacity with plans to grow.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” President and CEO Jeff Sokal explained they specialize in the production of dairy products using the aseptic process. The process is relied upon heavily in developing countries without robust refrigeration capacity.
“A typical dairy is going to cook a product like milk to about 170 degrees, and we process it closer to 290 degrees,” said Sokal Said. “It’s very rapid heating, and you end up extending the shelf life in a refrigerated or shelf-stable format of that final product to about one year.”
Currently, more than 200 conduct day-to-day operations, and that number could grow to up to 500 as capacity increases. Sokal said there are plans prepared for a 400,000-square-foot expansion, but no timeline has been set.
Production is expected to grow substantially when the $70 million new bridge is completed across the Monongahela River, making MIP a true multi-modal facility.
“We have been able to employ fifth-generation farmers, people who are interested in staying in West Virginia, and people who are interested in helping with food insecurity in their communities and regional communities at some point,” Mountaintop Beverage People Team Leader Beth Pratt said.
The company has found workers in Monongalia, Marion, and Preston Counties in West Virginia, and Greene and Fayette Counties in Pennsylvania. Pratt says some of their workforce is comprised of former workers from Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
“We’ve grabbed a lot of great manufacturing, as well as quality technicians that have clean manufacturing backgrounds,” Pratt said. “Just teaching them the beverage side of things is what we’re focusing on.”
Sokal and Pratt have met with officials from Monongalia County Schools regarding the proposed Renaissance Academy, a proposed vocational and college prep facility. Monongalia County Board of Education President Ron Lytle said they envision partnership opportunities with companies like Mountaintop Beverage to train local workers.
“We can build apprenticeship programs, internships, and things like that,” Pratt said. “So, we’re hoping that as we lean into that project, we’ll have an opportunity to drive the curriculum for some of that.”
Sokal said the founding team of Mountaintop Beverage looked at sites in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but the group was drawn back to West Virginia. While cooperation from elected leaders was key, according to Sokal, they wanted to locate the plant in an area where they could “spark” a difference, and West Virginia fit that bill.
“We see the problems downtown, and they get solved with more social programs,” Sokal said. “It gets solved through job creation; we need to create jobs and pathways for people, and we think we’re going to be a big part of that.”