Southern Virginia
Goodyear contests $1 million in fines in deaths by Joan Tupponce
ville plant is contesting more than $1 million in state penalties after four work-related deaths since August 2015. “We have never had one company have four fatalities in a 12-month period,” says Jennifer Rose, safety director for the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program (VOSH). “It’s not something that happens every day.”
T The 50-acre Dan-
ville plant, which makes aviation and specialty tires, employs about 1,200 workers. After performing
safety and health inspec- tions, VOSH cited the plant for four willful, 115 serious and three other-than-serious vio- lations along with $1.01 million in penalties. On the same day,
FOR THE RECORD
Commonwealth Assisted Living has completed its acquisition of Danville-based Stratford House. Financial details of the purchase were not disclosed. Charlottesville- based Commonwealth will invest $3.5 million to update the senior-living community and add its memory-care program. The expansion is expected to create 25 jobs. The renovations are expected to take about 18 months. The community will be called Commonwealth Senior Living at Stratford House. Stratford House is Commonwealth’s second senior- living community in Southern Virginia and its 23rd in the state. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Danville, Patrick Henry, Virginia Western and New River community colleges will collaborate on The Davenport
he Goodyear Tire and Rub- ber Co.’s Dan-
VOSH also cited the company for two will- ful and two serious violations along with $ 152,600 in penalties in connection with the April 12 death of employee Charles “Greg” Cooper. His body was found in a six- foot pit/sump contain- ing boiling water and oil. VOSH also issued
one serious violation and a $7,000 penalty in response to an April 25, 2016 nonfatal accident. “We had issued
two previous fines for the first two fatalities,” Rose says. Those were for violations connected to the Aug. 31, 2015, death of Jeanie Strader and the March 31, 2016, death of Kevin Waid Edmonds. Goodyear has contested all of the violations and penalties. Employers have 15 days after a citation is issued to challenge the citations
Early Childhood Development Institute, aimed at improving early childhood education in Southern and Southwest Virginia. The purpose of the project is to create a talented workforce in Southern and Southwest Virginia by ensuring access to high-quality training and education for individuals working in child-care centers or family child-care homes. The institute also will focus on increasing access to high- quality child-care options for working parents. The program is being funded by a $1 million gift by philanthropists Ben and Betty Davenport of Chatham. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
The owner/developer of the former Burlington Industries/ Klopman Mills site in Hurt announced its initial plans to develop the site. Construction of the 800-acre business park will begin in the coming year,
Photo courtesy The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
or correct them. “What Goodyear is saying by contesting them is that they don’t agree in being cited,” says Rose. When violations
are contested, employers are not required to make corrections until the case is either settled or tried in court. “We try to work with the company to reach an agreeable settlement and if that can’t be done, the cases get litigated,” Rose says. “If it’s litigated, the cita- tions surrounding it have to be corrected.” Some of the more
serious violations con- cern safety requirements in the service and repair of dangerous machinery. William Christopher Scheier, the plant’s fourth fatality, was killed Aug. 12 while perform- ing maintenance on a machine. An investiga- tion into his death is continuing. Ohio-based Good-
according to a joint news release from Samet Corp., Hurt Partners LLC, Pittsylvania County and Hurt. The name of the business park will be the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park. (
GoDanRiver.com)
The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) will entering a partnership with Siemens, a global technology company, to establish a noncredit Level 3 mechatronics training program. The field of mechatronics combines mechanical, electrical, computer, and software and control engineering to design and manufacture products. Siemens Mechatronic Systems training and certification allows industrial maintenance technicians working in any industry, with any equipment, to reap the benefits of the training and certification. (News release)
www.VirginiaBusiness.com
Regional View
year isn’t commenting on the cases but released a statement saying it is following a standard process in responding to citations.
The company
added that it is “com- mitted to the health and safety of all its associates. We will work with VOSH and the United Steel Workers to implement any neces- sary additional corrective actions to our Danville plant, beyond those we have already identi- fied ourselves and are addressing.”
PEOPLE
Five employees from Martinsville-based Patrick Henry Community College received awards during the 2016 Virginia Community College Association conference at the Wintergreen Resort. Associate Professor of Welding Dwight Bowers received the Excellence in Education Award; Welding Instructor Randy Smith and Executive Assistant Letitia Pulliam, were honored with a Faculty and Staff Showcase Award. (Work It, SoVa)
George W. Lester II, chair and CEO of The Lester Group in
Martinsville, is the new chair of the National Lumber and Building
Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA). (News release)
A Goodyear employee checks truck tires made at its Danville plant.
ON THE WEB
Complete list of For the Record and People at
VirginiaBusiness.com
Martinsville-based Hooker Furniture Corp. has named Steve Lush to a new position, executive vice president – Hooker Casegoods sales and merchandising. Lush is a 33-year veteran of the furniture retail, manufacturing and interior design industries. Lush most recently served as president of Fort Myers, Fla.- based retailer Robb & Stucky. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Danville-based American National Bank and Trust Co., the bank subsidiary of American National Bankshares Inc., has named John H. Settle Jr. executive vice president and president of trust and investment services. Settle was senior vice president and senior fiduciary adviser at Wells Fargo. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
VIRGINIA BUSINESS
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