WYMT Mountain News
Old Factory, New Jobs
Jul 26, 2005, 9:35 PM

Four years ago a major Somerset factory shut down and left hundreds without jobs.

Tecumseh's departure left a big void in Pulaski County. Some people think they've finally found the company to fill it.

It was 2001 and Tescumseh had just laid off the last of more than a thousand workers in Somerset. After 30 years of production, it was a dark day for the local industrial landscape.

The dark sky parted briefly when CS International set up shop in 2003. They closed shortly afterwards, but fast forward to July 2005 and officials think UGN is the ray of light that they've been looking for.

UGN will be making several different types of insulation and automotive parts. They will also be making a brand new type of vehicle carpet insulation that is said to absorb road noise instead of deflecting it.

It'll take 14 million dollars to renovate the shell of a building that once had 1,400 people working inside. UGN won't employ that many at first, but it's a start.

UGN hopes to start production at its Somerset plant early next year.