Tucked between the bustle of Washington, D.C., Ohio, and the bluegrass of Kentucky lies West Virginia. Home to an alluring four seasons set against a backdrop of rolling countryside, West Virginia is getting noticed. And for more than just its breathtaking beauty.
In 1998, West Virginia experienced record job creation for the second consecutive year.
Nearly 160 companies announced the location of new facilities or expansion projects in the state, amounting to more than $1.2 billion in capital investment.
And for the third consecutive year, West Virginia made the grade in the "Quality Counts '99" report recently released by Education Week.
The Mountain State received the highest overall score of any state, and achieved top honors in the study. Education Week's report evaluates standards and assessments, quality of teaching, school climate, and adequacy, equity and allocation of resources.
Charleston's Got the Ticket
Charleston's work force served as a major lure for TicketMaster, the world's largest provider of entertainment event ticketing services. In January the company announced it would construct its newest and most technologically advanced telecommunications center there.
The 23,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility will create 700 jobs.
"The overwhelming quality of the work force and the availability of the first class NorthGate Business Park were key to our decision to locate here," said Jeff Kline, senior vice president.
Toyota Expands
Another feather was added to West Virginia's cap in September of '98 when Toyota Motor Manufacturing announced plans to build an automatic transmission plant in Buffalo.
"This announcement is very significant for Toyota for this will be the first time we will produce automatic transmissions outside of Japan," said Tomoya Toriumi, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia. "This speaks well of the confidence Toyota has in the West Virginia work force."
Other expansions in the state include the opening of a new TeleTech facility in Moundsville and the construction of a new Ecolab facility along Route 9 between Martinsburg and Charles Town.
Perhaps Ecolab's president and CEO, Al Schuman, best sums up what many companies are discovering in the Mountain State: "West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle provides us with an excellent talent pool, a business friendly environment and central location to our regional customers."
West Virginia Facts & Contacts
DEMOGRAPHY AND
ECONOMY
Population: 1.8 million
Capital: Charleston
Three Largest Cities: Charleston, 56,098; Huntington, 53,941; Wheeling, 33,311
GSP: $37 billion
Per Capita Income: $18,734
Percentage of Private Manufacturing Labor Force Organized: 25.8%
Right-to-Work State: no
Most Current Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
(Feb. '99)
Average Hourly Manufacturing Wage: $13.68
Population Age 25 and Over With Bachelor's Degree or More: Charleston, 28.6; Huntington, 20.8; Wheeling, 18.4
EM's Education Quotient for the Largest School Districts: Charleston, Green; Huntington, Green; Wheeling, Blue
Percentage Employment by Sector: construction, 5.1%; manufacturing, 11.4%; mining, 3.16%; transportation/utilities, 5.4%; wholesale/retail, 22.8%
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
Major Financial Incentives: Business Investment and Jobs Expansion Tax Credit, Corporate Headquarters Relocation Credit, Warehouse "Freeport" Tax Exemption
Worker Training Programs: Governor's Guaranteed Work Force Program, Small Business Work Force Program
Enterprise Zones: 4: Empowerment Zones, 1
Foreign Trade Zones: 6
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Jan Dickinson, Dir. of Communications, West Virginia Dev. Office, State Capitol Complex, Building 6, Room 525, Charleston, W.V. 25305, (340) 558-2234, fax: (340) 558-5053 |
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