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100+ jobs coming to Newport News, in the interest of building nuclear power plants

Posted at 9:55 AM, Jun 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-27 13:05:33-04

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Newport News Industrial, a subsidiary company of Newport News Shipbuilding has announced they are brining 100 to 125 jobs to the area, and expanding their facility by 50,000 square feet.

According to the president of the industrial portion of the company, this is all in support of building nuclear power plants.

“We are expanding because we have a requirement to add additional jobs, about 100 to 125 welders [and] quality insurance inspectors to support our commercial nuclear fabrication of panels for the power plants being built in Georgia and South Carolina,” said Peter Diakun, president of Newport News Industrial and vice president of Energy Programs for Newport News Shipbuilding.

Welders and other key workers at Newport News Industrial build key pieces needed for power plants and ship them to facilities in Georgia and Columbia, S.C

“We currently employ roughly 500 people at the site, and we will be adding over 100 jobs, to get us a little over 600,” Diakun said during a press conference. “We started 3 years ago with 200, and in support of this customer, have grown over the last 3 years to the current 500 number.”

Newport News Industrial will be looking for welders and quality insurance inspectors as part of the expansion.

“It’s always a great pleasure to create job. So this is really important for I think two purposes,” Diakun said. “One, not only the creation of jobs, but these are not government related jobs. These are commercial related jobs.”

They expect to start hiring in Q3 or Q4 of this year, and bring the new hires on board around the beginning of 2017, towards the completion of the 50,000 square foot expansion is completed at the Newport News Industrial facility.

“These are not short term jobs. These hopefully will be here as our customers continue to sell not just in the U.S., but hopefully abroad as well,” said Diakun.

Earlier this year Newport News Shipbuilding announced they would layoff some of their workforce by the end of the year.

During their press conference today, Newport News Industrial officials were clear that the type of welders needed to work at the shipyard do not necessarily have the same qualifications needed to work at the industrial facility.

Officials will pool from individuals at the shipyard to see if anyone meets those qualifications, but it’s likely layoffs at Newport News Shipbuilding are still imminent at the end of the year.