"The people and government of West Virginia share our passion for excellence. In an industry where 25 percent turnover is the norm, our West Virginia center has less than six percent. No wonder we chose West Virginia for our national distribution center."

Gerard El Chaar, senior vice president of operations
Coldwater Creek Distribution Center
Parkersburg

"Operating in West Virginia is an advantage for a global company. As chair of the National District Export Council, I work with all the states in the union. West Virginia has the best organization in the country for export assistance."

Don Gallion, CEO
FCX Systems, Inc.
Morgantown

“The people in West Virginia government are accessible and responsive. They are willing to talk, listen and work with you to meet your business needs.”

Bill Menke, plant manager
DuPont, Belle

"I've had experience with building new factories that involved the cooperation of state agencies in another state, but West Virginia showed exceptional professionalism in helping Allevard Springs USA get started. We asked the state Department of Environmental Protection for help in correctly applying for the necessary permits. Their advice helped smooth the process."

Troy Thomas, plant manager
Allevard Spring USA
Prichard

"The West Virginia Energy Efficiency Program helps our company reduce production costs as well as save energy. Our attention to these issues streamlines our operations, allowing us to provide quality jobs and produce more than 1 million marbles a day."

Beri Fox, president
Marble King, Inc.
Paden City

“West Virginia’s Development Office introduced us to key people who helped develop our timber export business. They attended top trade shows with us. On our business trips abroad, they helped match us with potential customers, set up appointments and arranged visits to manufacturers. The Development Office made it easier for us to knock on the right doors, which can be especially difficult in a foreign country. Today, export is 60 percent of our business.”

Gene Walters, manager
Rolling Ridge Woods, Ltd.

“The West Virginia Department of Labor became our partner in reducing work-related injuries. We implemented their safety recommendations and our facility saved $809,000 in Workers’ Compensation premiums over a five year period. We re-invested these savings into our operation in the form of higher wages and benefits for the staff. This yielded the additional benefit of reducing turn-over. Being smart about safety makes good business sense.”

Donald Kirsch, Administrator
Good Shepherd Nursing Home, Wheeling

“The funding we received under the Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program allows us to continue to invest in our platform, confident we will be able to support our current level of training and continue to grow our business.”

Bill Klingelsmith, training and recruiting manager
Quad/Graphics, Martinsburg

“From the very first days of being in West Virginia, the governor and the Development Office gave us great support in organizing meetings with the appropriate state agencies, stakeholders and service providers during the process of reconstructing our plant. We couldn’t start the actual production at the factory in such short time without the support of the state government, our business partners and the people of West Virginia.”

Sergey Maximenko, vice-chairman of Privat Intertrading Company
Felman Production, New Haven

"Washington Works is centrally located and accessible to the vast interstate network that crisscrosses our state and our country. We are the beneficiaries of a robust educational alliance with West Virginia University and the Polymer Alliance Zone. We have strong governmental support of our industry. But our greatest asset is vested in the strength of the people -- our employees, our contractors, our suppliers -- who choose to live and work in our community."

Bill Hopkins, plant manager
DuPont Washington Works

“The Main Street architect drew up designs — at no charge — to renovate two storefronts built around the late 1800s so their facades would be appropriate for their ages. Having designs attuned to our historic downtown streetscape certainly helped win the approval of the city historical preservation committee. One facade is already finished and the other will be soon. We would not have been able to afford architectural designs of this professional quality without Main Street.”

Brenda Casabona, co-owner of DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates
Martinsburg

"Researchers from the Industries of the Future-West Virginia program, a partnership between the West Virginia Development Office and West Virginia University's National Research Center for Coal and Energy, analyzed our energy usage and made 14 recommendations that could save us up to $1 million per year. As a result we put in equipment that helps us conserve energy and changed our methods for sizing equipment. Professor Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan and some very smart students came to our plant and stayed with us for a week. Now we ask ourselves, 'What would Gopala say?' and don't put in oversize motors. It's a great process and I'd recommend it to anybody."

Tim Duke, president
Steel of West Virginia, Huntington

"West Virginia is a great place for Chesapeake Energy to do business because of the high quality workforce, an abundance of under-explored natural gas reserves and the leadership of Governor Manchin who has prioritized clean energy exploration and development while seeking the continued improvement of the general business climate."

Scott Rotruck, director corporate development
Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Charleston