Exal president confident new plant construction will begin

YOUNGSTOWN — The president of Exal Corp. remains confident he can begin construction of a new 400-employee plant this year even though financing is not completed.

Delfin Gibert, who hosted Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher at his original plant Friday, said he is hoping for about $20 million in government financing to assist in construction of the new plant in Salt Springs Road Industrial Park to make aluminum cans and bottles in specialty shapes.

Mayor Jay Williams and other city officials have the construction plans and are working on obtaining the assistance from federal and state sources, Gibert said.

Fisher, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by George Voinovich, called Exal’s two existing plants in Performance Place on Poland Avenue among the most impressive he has seen. He said he will tell Gov. Ted Strickland that “we need to help this company.”

For more information, see Saturday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.