West Virginia at AISTech 2024

West Virginia: A Hub for the Metals Industry

West Virginia is poised as a strategic hub in the metals industry, boasting an abundance of primary and fabricated metals, machinery, and essential components crucial for metalworking and machinery product manufacturing. The state’s location is central to over 4,000 regional suppliers, providing a comprehensive network of materials vital for the industry. Additionally, West Virginia is home to a skilled workforce comprising metalworking machinery operators, metal fabricators, and machine assemblers, making it a fertile ground for growth and innovation in the metals sector.

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West Virginia’s prime location, highly productive workforce and pro-business climate are just a few reasons successful companies continue to say #YesWV.

• West Virginia is within a day’s drive of 50% of the U.S. population and a third of the Canadian market.
• West Virginia’s workforce recorded the lowest manufacturing turnover rate in the country and is below the national average of turnover rates in all other workforce categories.
• West Virginia’s cost of living is below the national average, boasting a high quality of life with top-ranked universities, fulfilling careers, award-winning health institutions and ample outdoor recreation activities.

Thriving Industry Spotlight:

Metals

West Virginia has ready supplies of primary and fabricated metals, machinery and other components necessary for the manufacturing of metalworking and machinery products.

The state is at the heart of more than 4,000 regional suppliers of needed materials and home to thousands of skilled production and craft workers, particularly metalworking machinery operators, metal fabricators and machine assemblers.

Chemicals

Chemical and polymer companies have thrived in West Virginia for generations. While many advantages that attracted multinational companies are still present, structural shifts have made West Virginia even more competitive as a global chemical and polymer hub. The state is located in the heart of the Appalachian Basin, atop the abundant Marcellus and Utica Shale natural gas fields. Active chemical industrial parks provide colocation and shared services advantages such as existing permits and infrastructure. Additionally, West Virginia is home to a significant number of nonprofit and federal research institutions in materials science and chemical engineering.

Building Products

West Virginia’s building products industry boasts the highly skilled workforce, ample building materials and dedicated support services the construction industry needs to construct a solid foundation for success. With 11.9 million forested acres, West Virginia is the third most forested state in the nation. The ample wood products make West Virginia a leading producer of hardwoods. The state also has abundant resources such as coal and limestone for making cement. The many coal-fired power plants found in West Virginia create opportunities for companies manufacturing wallboard. West Virginia Wood Technology Center provides training programs in advanced wood manufacturing technologies, training a state ready to help build for the future.

These Metals, Chemicals and Building Product Companies already call #YesWV home – you can too!