SCIOTO COUNTY-The expansion of the SOAR Industrial Park at the Portsmouth Regional Airport is already growing the local economy. FBP has been a significant partner since breaking ground on the development, and is now supporting a new business within the park, Evans Food Group.

The FBP Community Commitment Fund has donated a total of $100,000 to the Evans Food Group for their future tortilla manufacturing plant at the industrial park. The plant is expected to produce ten million pounds of chips for annual distribution along the east coast.

The new facility is the second Scioto County location for the company, they already have a pork rinds facility in the Rosemont area.

“New businesses are discovering southern Ohio is a great place to invest, and the FBP Community Commitment fund is ready to partner with these organizations to help them get that start,” said FBP President and CEO Greg Wilkett. “By helping these new businesses, FBP is creating new opportunities for employment and growing our local economy with each investment.”

Through the Community Commitment program, FBP has provided nearly $5 million dollars in economic grants, creating and retaining 2,500 jobs since 2011.

Tim Poe coordinates the fund and works with the Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio (JEDISO) to create and retain jobs in Pike, Scioto, Ross, and Jackson counties.

“By working with the team at JEDISO we are able to identify some of the best opportunities for economic investment to help spur job growth in the region,” said Tim Poe, FBP Community Commitment Steering Group, “Southern Ohio provides many opportunities for business growth, and through the Community Commitment Fund we are able to take many of these locally-owned organizations and help them bring their plans to fruition, creating a better community for everyone.”

For more information about Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, please visit www.fbportsmouth.com.