While the employment picture still looks bleak...there is some good news on the local economic front.

Kraton Polymers is in the middle of construction on a multi-million dollar modernization of its Belpre plant.

Kraton has begun production of several new product lines in recent years, and plant officials tell us this project is in anticipation of the start-up of future products.

"This office building and lab is about a $7 million investment," says Robert Poage, Operations Leader. "We're spending tens of millions of dollars upgrading infrastructure in our boiler house and our computer systems in the facility also this year."

While the project itself does not increase employment, Kraton currently is hiring to replace 12 employees who have retired from the Belpre plant.

It has recieved hundreds of applications for those job openings.