MOUNT VERNON - A new coal business will soon make Mount Vernon its home and offer already-active companies the technology to grow.

Rowland Lewis Industrial Park will soon be the home base for construction on Intermountain Electronics' manufacturing facility for coal mining efficiency equipment.

John Houston, president of Intermountain, spoke during a news conference Thursday afternoon in Mount Vernon and talked of opportunity to expand more in the future, although the facility will hire about 20 personnel immediately.

"It depends on the industry," he said about future expansion.

Construction is slated to begin on the new facility in about 90 days with the first products turning out in 2010.

"It's our engineering and customer service and our entire engineering staff," Houston said, that makes Intermountain stand out among competition.

State Rep. John Cavaletto, R-Salem, welcomed Houston to the area and offered any assistance he could provide in helping to get the business off the ground.

Houston said the company has been in business for more than 20 years and has never had to lay off a single employee, all the while contributing to more efficient work environments, primarily in the mines, and making the dangerous job a bit safer.

The company's Web site says it has been in business 22 years and specializes in an assortment of electrical needs. It is based out of Price, Utah.

"We understand the dynamic nature of mining and other industries, and we have built a reputation as a reliable source for routine or emergency repairs, parts, manufacturing and service," Houston says on the site.

tara.fasol@thesouthern.com

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