SOUTH POINT — Several special guests and more than 100 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Spec Building 3 on Friday at The Point industrial park in South Point.

“It’s a great crowd,” said Dr. Bill Dingus, executive director of the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence Economic Development Corporation. “Lawrence County is such a wonderful community where they pull together and they work together and this is the way it’s supposed to be. When you look at our county from shore to shore, from western end to eastern end, it’s a unified effort, not only locally but also in the Tri-State area. It’s just a very supportive family.”

The new building will be 33,000 square feet, separated into four spaces.

The floors will not be added until the new tenants determine the kind of flooring needed.

“For a heavy industry, a 12-inch floor is mandatory,” said Jeremy Clay, the park’s manager. “This building will also have a very distinct appearance as the whole front will be masonry brick which we have used on the Chamber of Commerce building as well as Ohio University’s Extension office.”

Dan Mooney, president of Lawrence Economic Development Corporation, Board of Trustees, opened the groundbreaking ceremony of Spec Building 3 Friday at The Point in South Point.

“I think it’s exemplary of the vision that the leadership in Lawrence County has,” said Ohio Rep. Clyde Evans. “It seems like every time I come down here, I come to this park and we have something new going. I think it’s a real credit to the leadership to have a vision to look ahead. …”

Others in attendance included Fred Diehl, director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, Ohio Rep. Clyde Evans, South Point Mayor Bill Gaskin, Phil Roberts, field representative for Congressman Charlie Wilson, and Tony Lauro, consultant and designer of the new building.

Carl Drummond, of Greasy Ridge, a former employee of Allied Chemical Company attended the ceremony. He worked for the company for 17 years then moved to Florida and worked for Disney another 22 years.

The building of Engines Inc. at The Point was officially dedicated on Friday also. The company purchased Spec Building No. 2 at the park and installed two railroad tracks with two cranes on each side.

The building is 42,000 square feet, with two 80-ft wide bays 200 feet long. They also have two additional large buildings.

One building houses the largest punch machine made by Whitney. One operator actually works the machine through a computer.

Engines Inc. has 128 employees that make and repair railroad cars.

Carl Grover, owner of Engines Inc., has been in the business since 1988 and moved to The Point in 2005.