The research nonprofit MATRIC has started an engineering firm that it says will employ researchers laid off by Dow Chemical Co.

Known formally as the Mid-Atlantic Technology Research and Innovation Center, South Charleston-based MATRIC owns and runs the new firm called Mid-Atlantic Technical Engineering LLC, or MATE, said spokeswoman Mary-Margaret Chandler.

MATE will cater to clients in the chemical, energy, biofuels and aerospace industries, and it will hire more than 50 engineers and support staff this year, said MATRIC president Keith Pauley in a prepared statement.

The new firm intends to recruit heavily the 150 researchers whom Dow said in December it would lay off over two years as part of companywide cuts. MATE will also seek out engineers in all disciplines who want to live in West Virginia but haven't been able to find the right job.

MATE's goal is to become "a major regional engineering firm within the next five years," said Pauley. It will go after the kind of engineering work that MATRIC has had to refer out of West Virginia, he said.

"To date, MATRIC often has to pass our research to out-of-state entities to complete the designs and to work with contractors," he said.

For this reason, MATE typically won't compete head to head with other Kanawha Valley engineering firms, Chandler said.

"Obviously, there are a lot of engineering firms in the Kanawha Valley," she said, "but our target customer would be different. ... There are real opportunities with our current customer base."

MATRIC had been considering an engineering startup for a long time, but the engineering talent that Dow's layoffs will release onto the job market finally made it feasible, Chandler said.

"When you're going to get this excellent pool of people, that avenue just opens up," she said.

MATE will be run as a for-profit business at MATRIC's offices in Building 740 at Dow Technology Park.

Pauley is the chief executive for now, but he will step aside once a leadership team can be assembled, Chandler said. For the time being, Pauley is working with five part-time employees, who are focused on locating customers, she said.

MATRIC will outgrow its offices at Tech park "in the near future," Chandler said, "and we've made Dow aware of that."

To contact staff writer Joe Morris, use e-mail or call 348-5179.

Known formally as the Mid-Atlantic Technology Research and Innovation Center, South Charleston-based MATRIC owns and runs the new firm called Mid-Atlantic Technical Engineering LLC, or MATE, said spokeswoman Mary-Margaret Chandler.

MATE will cater to clients in the chemical, energy, biofuels and aerospace industries, and it will hire more than 50 engineers and support staff this year, said MATRIC president Keith Pauley in a prepared statement.

The new firm intends to recruit heavily the 150 researchers whom Dow said in December it would lay off over two years as part of companywide cuts. MATE will also seek out engineers in all disciplines who want to live in West Virginia but haven't been able to find the right job.

MATE's goal is to become "a major regional engineering firm within the next five years," said Pauley. It will go after the kind of engineering work that MATRIC has had to refer out of West Virginia, he said.

"To date, MATRIC often has to pass our research to out-of-state entities to complete the designs and to work with contractors," he said.

For this reason, MATE typically won't compete head to head with other Kanawha Valley engineering firms, Chandler said.

"Obviously, there are a lot of engineering firms in the Kanawha Valley," she said, "but our target customer would be different. ... There are real opportunities with our current customer base."

MATRIC had been considering an engineering startup for a long time, but the engineering talent that Dow's layoffs will release onto the job market finally made it feasible, Chandler said.

"When you're going to get this excellent pool of people, that avenue just opens up," she said.

MATE will be run as a for-profit business at MATRIC's offices in Building 740 at Dow Technology Park.

Pauley is the chief executive for now, but he will step aside once a leadership team can be assembled, Chandler said. For the time being, Pauley is working with five part-time employees, who are focused on locating customers, she said.

MATRIC will outgrow its offices at Tech park "in the near future," Chandler said, "and we've made Dow aware of that."

To contact staff writer Joe Morris, use e-mail or call 348-5179.