GOOD TIMES are beginning to return to Ormet Corp.

The Monroe County plant is targeted to return to full production within two months. What a nice breath of fresh employment news for an Ohio Valley hit hard by an ailing economy.

Steel mills are on life support, the Burger Plant in Shadyside is virtually history and coal mines do not pack the wallop they did decades ago.

Ormet appears to have dodged many a fatal bullet in reaching its new position of strength.

Plant President and CEO Mike Tanchuk announced just days ago that the fifth potline is up and running and in the near future potline six will follow suit. Bringing those two online will bring Ormet back up to full production capacity.

Such news is sweet music to Monroe County’s ears as well as those within the Switzerland of Ohio School District and the surrounding area in general.

Full capacity means more jobs of the well-paying variety.

Ormet currently employs more than 1,000 workers and the number is growing. Some 140 additional employees are being hired to meet the demands, 60 of those who have been on laid-off status.

A more vibrant Ormet will have a positive spinoff for other industries in the Ohio Valley, including coal mines. Local governments and businesses will also reap some of the benefits.

The Ormet renaissance is remarkable. Just a little more than a year ago, the facility was on the brink of closure. Many jobs were lost at that point.

To its credit, the Ormet leadership team exercised great business savvy in resuscitating the plant. We salute the prowess exhibited by the company the Ohio Valley could ill afford to lose.

We celebrate Ormet’s renewed vitality and also hope that it is a springboard for widespread economic growth in the Ohio Valley.