SOUTH POINT — While the national economic picture looks bleak, some area companies are weathering the storm better than their counterparts elsewhere.

Engines, Inc., which has facilities in South Point and in West Virginia, is continuing to look for ways to grow, though it did lay off eight employees at its facilities Nov. 14.

Engines Inc., President Carl Grover said the employees worked at a variety of tasks from building railroad cars to building mining machinery parts.

Grover said it was partly because of the economy and partly as a move to tighten up its labor force.

The owner said there was a slight downturn in business resulting from a cancellation of a mining industry-related order. He said another order was canceled but the cancelation was rescinded a week later.

“The company wanted to put an order on hold and then they decided they wanted us to do the job after all,” Grover said. He declined to name the two entities involved in the cancellations but said they were coal industry-related.

In the meantime he has secured other work orders to keep remaining employees busy.

“We’re not hurting, economically, it’s not like we’re devastated and don’t have anything to do,” Grover said.

Grover said it is unlikely these eight people will be called back but he hopes to hire more skilled workers, such as welders and fabricators, possibly early next year. Grover said he had laid off some workers a few months ago but was able to call all of them back.

He said he did not think he would need to lay off any more employees.