The Garrett County Board of Commissioners announced yesterday that Strata Safety Products LLC will be the first business to occupy the Keysers Ridge Business Park, located at U.S. Rt. 40 and I-68 near Grantsville.
Strata Safety Products is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Strata Worldwide LLC, a global supplier of safety solutions that are intended to promote a safer, more productive working environment above and below ground. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., this new Grantsville location will be Strata’s first in this region.
“The board of commissioners and I are committed to the continual economic growth of the county,” said GC Department of Economic Development director Mike Koch. “Strata will provide Garrett County’s workforce with additional employment opportunities, and Strata is already a business partner of other Garrett County and regional businesses.”
The Keysers Ridge Business Park was developed in 2003 by the state of Maryland, through the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), with $2.5 million in funding.
“We are pleased to welcome Strata Safety Products to Maryland and look forward to working with them to help them to grow and add jobs here,” said DBED Secretary Dominick M. Murray. “We look forward to working with our partners in Garrett County to continue to attract additional companies to the business park.”
Strata Safety Products designs and manufactures emergency refuge and safety equipment for mining and construction industries. The chambers provide a safe haven of breathable air for miners and/or construction workers trapped in potentially toxic environments.
Recently, Strata announced that it is the first company worldwide to receive official United States Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) approval for components used in its Mine Refuge Alternatives. These approvals include the September 2012 approval of the breathable air component and the March 2013 approval of the harmful gas removal component.
“We are pleased to work with the Garrett County Economic Development team, and look forward to occupying the new facility at Keysers Ridge Business Park,” said David Maust, vice president and general manager of Strata’s Refuge Alternatives. “We were very happy to have been the first company worldwide to be awarded the MSHA approval for a Refuge Alternative component. Our new Garrett County facility will certainly play a role in helping us meet the upcoming demands for our Refuge Alternatives.”
