Force Protection to add facility where work is

Eyeing the shifting strategic military sands in the Middle East, Force Protection Inc. is going on the offensive and establishing a new base camp in the region.

The Ladson-based company, which makes armored vehicles for protecting combat troops, plans to soon open a facility in Kuwait for its overseas-based maintenance and training crew.

Those crew members, formally called field service representatives, repair damaged vehicles, service them and instruct deployed personnel on how to operate the heavy vehicles. The company employs about 250 such representatives.

Chief Executive Officer Michael Moody wouldn't say how much the facility will cost or how many crew members will report to the site. He said he expects the facility to open within weeks.

He said the Mideast expansion makes sense given that the Department of Defense's attention is shifting toward Afghanistan and Iran and away from Iraq.

Moody announced plans for the new operation at the company's annual stockholders meeting Friday at the Charleston Area Convention Center.

At the gathering, shareholders elected two new board members, B. Herbert Ellis (a local resident and the former CEO of Charleston Marine Containers Inc. ) and Kenneth Merlau, for three-year terms. Current member Jack Davis got the nod to serve another term as a Force Protection director.

Snapping back?

A glimmer of hope from the metals sector?

Locally based JW Aluminum said last week it is recalling about 65 employees to bring its Russellville, Ark., plant back up to pre-recession levels, citing "increased demand in key" products, which include fin stock, semi-rigid container and light-gauge foil.

"We, like many others in our industry, made hard decisions earlier this year to reduce our workforce in line with market demand," Don Kassing, president and CEO of the Mount Holly-based metal manufacturer, said in a statement.

"As demand has begun to return and JW has been successful in developing new accounts, we are now at a point where we need to bring a significant number of people back. This is good news for JW, our employees in Russellville, and the surrounding community."

The company said the plant will approach maximum production this summer and that it hopes to be able to maintain staffing levels in Arkansas for the foreseeable future.

"We believe we have seen the bottom of the market, but we will continue to pay close attention to market conditions," said Brien Doyle, manager of the Russellville factory.

JW Aluminum temporarily laid off "a significant percentage" of the 400-worker payroll at its mill near Goose Creek earlier this year.

Northern exposure

Continuing its expansion across the Southeast, locally based Charlestowne Hotels will manage a North Carolina property where silent-movie stars hung out in the 1900s and Clark Gable once registered as a guest.

The Esmeralda, a 15-suite boutique hotel in Chimney Rock, N.C., marks Charlestowne Hotels' fourth new contract this year. The Charleston-based company now also manages three other North Carolina properties, all in Blowing Rock.

Its local properties include the French Quarter Inn, the Andrew Pinckney Inn and the Shem Creek Inn.

Sky surfing

Here's one more reason for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce to brag about discount carrier AirTran Airways: The airline announced last week that it will offer wireless, broadband Internet access on every flight.

All 136 of the airline's jets will receive Gogo inflight internet service by mid-summer under a partnership with the communications company Aircell. Gogo, which is powered by Aircell, creates a Wi-Fi hotspot onboard the plane.

Rates for the service start at $7.95 for a handheld device and top at $12.95 to access the internet from a laptop on a flight that exceeds three hours.

A few months ago the chamber began a campaign urging members and area businesses to patronize AirTran, which experts credit with lower fares and higher volumes at Charleston International Airport since its arrival two years ago.

Helping hands

Pluff Mud Connect, a new web-based matching service, has launched in the Lowcountry.

Designed specifically for coastal South Carolina, the Web site matches local nonprofit organizations with local consultants and service providers in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Jasper and Hampton counties.

More than fifty local non-profits and businesses have already registered.

Nonprofits register for free. Once registered, nonprofits can search the database and find local consultants and other service providers who are qualified. Nonprofits can also submit an online form, which will be e-mailed directly to local consultants who can bid for their work.

Consultants and service providers enroll for an annual fee that is tiered based on business size. Once enrolled, businesses build a detailed profile of the services they offer and are listed in the categories that most closely match the services they provide.

Laura Deaton, founder of the new site pluffmudconnect.com, said a portion of the enrollment fees paid by businesses will be set aside to help fund local projects for registered 501(c)3 organizations.