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A grant of $44,000 from Fluor-B&W Portsmouth will help reopen the former Sherwood Forest lumber mill near Waverly, which will provide jobs for 18 to 25 people when it becomes operational.

The mill, which will operate under the name of Ohio Valley International, Inc., is scheduled to reopen this year and will specialize in kiln-dried Appalachian hardwood lumber in a variety of species, including walnut, cherry, and white oak.

“We have a lot of local business leaders with ideas to expand their business and create jobs,” said Bob Nichols, Fluor-B&W deputy project director. “Through our Fluor-B&W Community Commitment Plan and with input from the Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio (JEDISO) and county economic development directors, we can give these businesses much-needed seed monies to get started.”

Edward Robbins, Ohio Valley founder and CEO, expressed his gratitude for the funds. “We are extremely grateful for the Fluor-B&W Community Commitment Funding and excited for the future of Ohio Valley International, LLC,” said Robbins. “This funding will serve as a cornerstone in the construction, development and growth for our company.”

Ohio Valley International is a venture of Ohio Valley Veneer, which was founded in 1990 by Edward and Carol Robbins. Starting out as a logging crew, the business expanded to acquire two sawmills in Piketon in 1999. The company reportedly continues to expand and now has multiple operations in the region, including 113 people with $26 million in annual sales.

From PikeCountyDaily.com: http://www.pikecountydaily.com/news/article_32961c45-ee47-5de3-a0df-4e0df831ac1c.html