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Infrastructure bill allocates billions for high-tech West Virginia projects

Jim Strawn • Dec 01, 2021

WV on the Verge

     The massive $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill passed by Congress and signed into law this month by President Joe Biden included billions for West Virginia projects, including funding for cutting-edge transportation initiatives fueled by emerging technologies.

     Marshall University’s Appalachian Transportation Institute, RCBI and others will compete for infrastructure monies to help bring the emerging technologies to West Virginia.

     An important project to West Virginia is the Virgin Hyperloop Certification Center announced in October 2020 by Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; state native John Chambers; and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The $500 million testing center is to be built on 800 acres in Grant and Tucker counties. 

     Marshall, West Virginia University and others have submitted a grant that will help advance the state as the place where advanced transportation opportunities have a home. This project provides learning and workforce opportunities for West Virginians, as well as students enrolled at Marshall and WVU.

     The infrastructure bill also includes funding for emerging “green” technologies known as eVTOL, electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles that ferry people and cargo up to 250 miles on a single charge.

     RCBI and a statewide coalition, including many private business partners, have applied for Phase I Build Back Better grant funding to continue to build upon West Virginia’s rich history of aviation and aerospace manufacturing as well develop the new workforce needed to propel the eVTOL industry in the Mountain State.


By Kim Mack 01 Feb, 2023
WHO IS THIS SMALL BUSINESS IN WEST VIRGINIA SHIPPING TO 37 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD. We are a designer and manufacturer of safety sight glasses, viewport assemblies, sight flow indicators, spray rings, sight lights and sight glass replacements for observing processes in industrial pressure vessels and pipelines. Cyclops sight glass provides maximum safety under high pressure, high temperature, corrosive and volatile processing operations. They can withstand a wide thermal shock range and are capable of resisting blow out or rupture. In most applications no packings, compression rings or screws are involved, eliminating costly continuous maintenance. With uncomplicated installation, safety sight glasses use only ASME approved materials and tolerances. During the late 40's, early 50's several localized plant explosions were experienced by a major chemical facility were directly attributed to the failure of conventional or sandwich type sight glasses. As a result, an engineer, my grandfather, Gene LeRoy was given the task of developing a sight glass that when broken, would maintain its integrity and not rupture or blow out, even while under extreme pressure at high temperature. After much trial and error, he hit upon the idea of peripherally sealing the lens assembly instead of vertically clamping and sealing the sight glass against the top and bottom lens gaskets. With a grateful heart, I became the President & Owner in 1999. I have certainly learned a lot along the way. Our company has relationships and customers all over the world. Thank you. Over the last 22 years, we have reinvented ourselves by reaching out to area professionals in business, manufacturing, marketing, branding, and networking. And I feel confident we have positioned our company for 2023 and beyond. Especially after our award-winning year in 2022. We have set our ‘sights’ high for this year. Thank you, Kim Mack, President 800-292-9011
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