Boone County

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) FY 2014-2018

Region III Planning and Development Council

Serving Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam Counties

315 D Street South Charleston, WV 25303 (304) 744-4258 INDEX

Page

Introduction ………………………………………….. 3 County Summaries……………………………………………. 7

Boone…………………………. 8 Clay…………………………… 21 Kanawha……………………. 31 Putnam……………………… 49

SWOC Analysis……………………………………………….. 60 Strengths………………… 64 Weaknesses………………. 71 Opportunities…………… 73 Challenges………………… 74

Goals, Objectives & Strategies………………………….. 76

Performance Measures & Outcomes………………….. 80

Regional Economic Analysis……………………………… 82

Regional and County Project Lists…………………….. 90

RIC Progress Report……………………………………… 94

Appendix……………………………………………………… 100

2 INTRODUCTION

This report constitutes the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for WV Region 3, which consists of Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam Counties. It is developed by the Regional Intergovernmental Council (RIC) with the support of US EDA and in collaboration with the CEDS committee and local economic development agencies.

The purpose of the CEDS is to provide an overview and analysis of current economic conditions and a future vision for the region. This vision is expressed as goals, objectives and strategies. Specific projects are also proposed.

Region 3 has not escaped the impact of the recent economic downturn and is affected by the changing national and global economy. Like much of WV, the area is blessed with rich natural resources and the advantages, such as proximity to eastern markets. The primary challenge for the future is to use these advantages to develop and sustain a robust economy.

The interstate highway system that serves Region III includes I-64, I-77 and I- 79. This interstate system has largely been responsible for Region III’s growth as a major distribution center. The river, rail, air, and highway network has been a stimulus to all sectors of the economy and allows Region III ease of trade with all other areas in the nation. Appalachian Corridor G connects southern West Virginia (Boone-Logan) with the Interstates in Charleston.

Coal remains relevant to the regional economy; however, West Virginia’s economy is beginning to notice a transition: Mined out Appalachian coal operations are fading, while the new Marcellus gas industry is booming. Oil and gas production contributes to the employment of Putnam, Clay, and Kanawha Counties. In addition, the Region lies within the Central Hardwood Forest areas and is predominantly forested – forests occupy nearly 80% of the land surface.

Water and Sewer infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, and technology remain very important to our region. Region III serves Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam Counties and continues to provide technical assistance, project development and project administration to each county. Water and sewer infrastructure development is vital as these services are needed to enhance our region’s economic opportunities. Implementation of broadband to our rural areas will be crucial in making existing and future business owners more competitive in state, national and global markets.

The WV Regional Technology Park

The WV Regional Technology Park in South Charleston continues to add tenants to its massive grounds. The WVTP is a diversified research, development and commercialization park, focused on energy, chemicals and related technologies for the advancement of education and economic development in West Virginia and the surrounding region. West Virginia’s U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, says, “This is a place where we can turn our investments into high-tech jobs and diverse economic opportunities, which is critical to securing a strong and vibrant

4 future for West Virginia.” December 15, 2012, marked the second anniversary of the park. The State of West Virginia accepted the park as a gift from The Dow Chemical Company. When the state took over, 550 employees worked there; currently there are 678 full-time employees.

Kanawha Valley Technical and Community College at WV Regional Technology Park

Construction of Bridgemont CTC building at WV Regional Technology Park

The new Kanawha Valley Community and Technology College facility is now open at the WV Regional Park. The facility houses programs for the Kanawha Valley

5 Community and Technology College and Montgomery-based Bridgemont Community & Technology College. The center offers five core academic courses including megatronics, instrumentation, information technology, power plant technology and chemical operators. It was announced in June, 2013 that both schools will be merging together. Business leaders say that the combined schools will be better equipped to provide a diverse range of training programs for local companies.

The driver in the increase was the addition of 107 employees, mostly faculty at the Kanawha Valley Technical and Community College. The college opened in August 2012 and currently has over 1,700 students. In addition to the Kanawha Valley school, Bridgemont Community and Technology College has about 50 students and nine full-time faculty members. Mid-Atlantic Technology Research and Innovation Center (MATRIC), has 75 employees in the park.

Construction of the Boy Scout Jamboree site has pumped nearly $170 million in income into the southern West Virginia economy over the past 4 years. Approximately $121 million went directly into the community, while another $48 million was the result of construction spending throughout the community. It is anticipated that the Boy Scouts will expand their facilities as the organization prepares for the world Jamboree in 2019, the first to take place on US soil.

County Summaries

BOONE COUNTY

Hatfield-McCoy Welcome Center

Boone County Business Development Center

Boone County was formed in 1847 from portions of Kanawha, Cabell, and Logan Counties, Virginia. The County was named for Daniel Boone, a noted hunter and explorer, who made his home in the Great Kanawha Valley from 1788 to 1795. Located in southwestern West Virginia, Boone County borders Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Wyoming and Raleigh Counties. Madison is the county seat, with three other municipalities of Danville, Whitesville and Sylvester, nearby. The Madison/Danville area of Boone County is approximately 37 miles south of Charleston. The county area is 503 square miles and lies in the Appalachian Plateau. Most of the area is divided by streams and water courses, which give the region the appearance of an endless formation of hills and contrasting valleys. The average temperature in Boone County is 54 degrees with the annual snowfall ranging from 25 to 35 inches.

Distance to Major Cities from Madison

Atlanta...... 517 miles Chicago……………………………………………………………………………….. 512 miles Cincinnati…………………………………………………………………………….. 222 miles Cleveland…………………………………………………………………………….. 281 miles Columbus……………………………………………………………………………. 241 miles Lexington……………………………………………………………………………. 181 miles New York……………………………………………………………………………. 560 miles Pittsburgh…………………………………………………………………………… 257 miles Washington, DC………………………………………………………………….. 391 miles

Economy

Boone County is diversifying with job opportunities being created outside the coal industry. The completion of Appalachian Corridor G through Boone County promotes residential and commercial development. The Boone Partners in Development and Boone Memorial Hospital developed a walking and biking trail for the Madison/Danville area. This trail has been designed to promote wellness in the county.

Boone County’s 70-mile section of the Hatfield-McCoy Recreational Trails offer outdoor recreational opportunities to off-road enthusiasts, including ATV riders and motorcyclists. Studies of the project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecast $100 million added to the economy as well as many new jobs; the completed trails will total 2,000 miles.

9 Despite these initiatives, the Boone County economy is still heavily dependent on the coal industry. Thus it is vulnerable to cyclical changes in the price and demand for coal. Fortunately, the coal industry has been stable in Boone County in recent years, as coal mining employment has risen from 2,425 in 2000 to 4,328 in 2011.

TRANSPORTATION

Highways One U.S. and two state highways serve Boone County. Providing service to Madison and Danville is U. S. 119 (Corridor G) which connects with Charleston, West Virginia and the State of Pennsylvania to the northeast and with Logan and Williamson, West Virginia and the State of Kentucky to the south.

Public Transportation Tri-River Transit in Hamlin, Lincoln County, provides limited local transit service in Boone County. Routes include Clothier to Madison and Wharton to Madison. The Boone County community organization provides various transportation services for senior services.

Rail Service The CSX system supplies freight service to the communities of Boone County.

Air Service The nearest commercial airport is Yeager Airport at Charleston, a distance of 37 miles.

UTILILTIES

Water There are two Public Service Districts that provide water to Boone County. They are Boone Co. PSD and Boone-Raleigh PSD. Boone Co. PSD supplies water to Madison and Danville and the major portion of Boone County. Much of the water is supplied by the WV-American Water Company through public-private partnership.

Electric American Electric Power (AEP) provides electric power throughout Boone Co.

Gas and Other Natural gas is supplied by Ashford Gas, Southern Public Service District, Pennzoil and Hope Natural Gas, Inc. Coal, fuel oil and propane are readily available from local suppliers.

10 The following “Quality of Life” facts exist in Boone County:

 Low crime rate  County-wide 911 service and ambulance service  8 fully-equipped volunteer fire departments  Two National Blue Ribbon Schools  Three WV Schools of Excellence  Truck Driving Academy (with a 95% placement rate)  Fully-staffed hospital in Madison  Nursing and Rehabilitation Center  Housing Complexes for Seniors and the Elderly  Public libraries in Madison, Whitesville, Wharton and Racine  Public Transportation  8 Community and Recreational Centers  Waterways Park  County and Municipal Parks and Pools  18 Hole Public Golf Course  Fishing and Hunting Facilities  National Mine Disasters Memorial  National Historic District at Nellis  Coal Heritage Museum in Madison  County Courthouse on National Register of Historic Places  Annual Festivals in Madison, Danville, Whitesville & Sylvester  $33 million County-Wide Water Project  Four-lane Highway Access  Thirty minute drive to State Capitol  Rail and Motor Carrier Freight Service  3-mile Walking Trail in Madison to promote Wellness

Boone County opened a new $5.3 million dollar Courthouse Annex Building on January 2, 2013. The 4-story 16,000 square foot facility will enhance government in Boone County and will make it much safer and more efficient, according to County Commissioner Eddie Hendricks. “We realized we had to construct a new judicial annex, and the County Commission put aside money each fiscal year for capital projects so this annex could become a reality for the citizens of Boone County.”

Boone County Courthouse Annex

WaterWays Theme Park

The Boone County Community and Economic Development Office are collaborating with several agencies to develop an outdoor amphitheater at WaterWays Theme Park in Julian, and have committed $25,000 for the project. The Boone County Commission and the Boone County Parks and Recreation Commission are partnering on the project with the goal to bring more cultural and performing arts activities to the area, and to increase the many activities planned for Boone County’s major outdoor attraction. From Memorial Day to mid-August, the WaterWays Park attracts 55,000 visitors annually to utilize the many water attractions. WaterWays has recently added three newly paved walking trails and a combination soccer/football facility.

Boone County received a $1.3 million Small Cities Block Grant to assist in providing water to over 130 customers in the Mud River-Cox’s Fork area. The Boone County Commission contributed $340,000 for the project. Construction began in April, 2013.

Construction at Mud River site

Mud River Water Extension Project

The City of Madison has received a $200,000 streetscape project grant. The project will include new handicapped accessible sidewalks for Main Street, new street lights, landscaping and trash receptacles.

The Boone County Community and Economic Development Office have received a $31,008 Local Economic Development Initiatives Grant from the WV Development Office to support county projects.

Overview for Boone County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Boone County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 501.5 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 48.8 per square mile. On the most recent census form, 99.4% of the population reported only one race, with 0.5% of these reporting African- American. The population of this county is 0.4% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.50 persons compared to an average family size of 2.90 persons.

In 2012 mining was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $84,682. Per capita income grew by 17.0% between 2001 and 2011 (adjusted for inflation). People & Income Overview Rank Industry Overview (2012) Rank Value Value (By Place of Residence) in U.S. (By Place of Work) in U.S. Population (2012) 24,478 1623 Covered Employment 7,945 1582 Growth (%) since 2010 Census -0.6% 1945 Avg wage per job $54,377 104 Households (2011) 9,755 1625 Manufacturing - % all jobs in County 0.5% 2758 Labor Force (persons) (2012) 9,306 1834 Avg wage per job $29,176 2531 Transportation & Warehousing - % all Unemployment Rate (2012) 10.9 345 3.4% 948 jobs in County Per Capita Personal Income $28,912 2466 Avg wage per job $41,310 1599 (2011) Median Household Income Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs $38,357 2124 8.2% 1639 (2011) in County Poverty Rate (2011) 19.6 961 Avg wage per job $20,781 2127 H.S. Diploma or More - % of Finance and Insurance - % all jobs in 72.2 2,919 1.6% 2355 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr) County Bachelor's Deg. or More - % of 8.0 3,159 Avg wage per job $29,374 2615 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr)

Population for Boone County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Population Over Time Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2012 24,478 1623 0.01% 313,914,040 2010 24,627 1620 0.01% 308,745,538 2000 25,535 1538 0.01% 281,421,906 1990 25,870 1427 0.01% 248,790,925 1980 30,447 1224 0.01% 226,542,250 2000 to 2010 % change -3.6% 2475 9.7% 1990 to 2010 % change -4.8% 2580 24.1% 1980 to 2010 % change -19.1% 2796 36.3% Source: US Census Bureau Components of Population Change in Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2011/2012 Net Domestic Migration (chg 2011/2012) 1 1113 Net International Migration (chg 2011/2012) 0 2606 <0.01% 885,804 Natural Increase (births minus deaths) 19 1608 <0.01% 1,440,420 Births 310 1538 0.01% 3,953,593 Deaths 291 1466 0.01% 2,513,173 Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Population Estimates by Age in 2012 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Preschool (0 to 4) 1,493 1619 6.1% 6.4% School Age (5 to 17) 4,087 1653 16.7% 17.1% College Age (18 to 24) 1,849 1745 7.6% 10.0% Young Adult (25 to 44) 6,070 1583 24.8% 26.4% Older Adult(45 to 64) 7,298 1561 29.8% 26.4% Older (65 plus) 3,681 1713 15.0% 13.7% Median Age = Median Age 41.1 1503 37.4 Sources: US Census Bureau; Median age calculated by the IBRC. Population Estimates by Race and Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. Hispanic Origin in 2012 in County in U.S. American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone 35 2649 0.1% 1.2% Asian Alone 28 2581 0.1% 5.1% Black Alone 146 2222 0.6% 13.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone 2 2483 0.0% 0.2% White Alone 24,121 1492 98.5% 77.9% Two or More Race Groups 146 2335 0.6% 2.4% Hispanic or Latino (can be of any race) Non-Hispanic or Latino 24,368 1552 99.6% 83.1% Hispanic or Latino 110 2834 0.4% 16.9% Source: US Census Bureau Hispanic or Latino Population in 2011 Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. (can be of any race) in County in U.S. Hispanic 112 2780 0.5% 16.1% Mexican 110 2523 0.4% 10.4% Cuban 2 1701 0.0% 0.6% Puerto Rican 0 2479 0.0% 1.5% Other 0 2974 0.0% 3.6% White, Not Hispanic (reporting white alone) 24,321 1417 98.3% 64.2% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5 Year Estimates

Households and Housing for Boone County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Pct All Hhlds Pct All Hhlds Households in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Total Households 9,755 1625 100.0% 100.0% Family Households 7,031 1585 72.1% 66.7% Married with Children 2,192 1471 22.5% 20.7% Married without Children 3,357 1593 34.4% 28.6% Single Parents 622 1932 6.4% 9.6% Other 860 1402 8.8% 7.7% Non-family Households 2,724 1708 27.9% 33.3% Living Alone 2,455 1670 25.2% 27.3% Average Household Size 2.53 1388 Average Family Household Size 3.07 1780 Source: US Census Bureau Pct All HU Pct All HU Housing Units in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. 2010 Housing Units (Census count) 11,070 1663 Total Housing Units (ACS estimate) 11,146 1697 100.0% 100.0% Occupied 9,755 1625 87.5% 87.6% Owner Occupied 7,548 1574 67.7% 57.9% Renter Occupied 2,207 1729 19.8% 29.7% Vacant 1,391 1951 12.5% 12.4% For seasonal or recreational use 208 2210 1.9% 3.7% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Residential Building Permits in 2012 Units Cost ($000) in County in U.S. Total Permits Filed 17 100.0% 100.0% $2,139 Single Family 17 100.0% 62.5% $2,139 Two Family 0 0.0% 1.6% $0 Three & Four Family 0 0.0% 1.5% $0 Five Families and More 0 0.0% 34.4% $0 Source: US Census Bureau

Income and Poverty for Boone County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Median Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Median household income in 2011 $38,357 2124 76.0% Median household income in 2000 (adj. for inflation) $35,890 2785 65.4% 5-year percent change 2000 to 2011 6.9% 162 Source: US Census Bureau Per Capita Personal Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Per capita income - 2011 $28,912 2466 69.6% Per capita income - 2001 (adj. for inflation) $24,708 2728 62.4% Per capita income - 1991 (adj. for inflation) $25,437 1468 77.7% Per capita income - 1981 (adj. for inflation) $22,939 1426 82.7% 10-year % change 17.0% 967 20-year % change 13.7% 2872 30-year % change 26.0% 2873 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis 5-Year % Change Rank in % Personal Income in 2011 ($000) Number (adj*) Change Total Earnings by Place of Work $701,738 9.9% 794 Minus: Contributions for government social $73,792 -15.1% 2586 insurance Personal contributions for government social $35,742 -9.1% 726 insurance Employer contributions for government social $38,050 -20.0% 3014 insurance Plus: Adjustment for residence -$215,183 47.6% 290 Equals: Net Earnings by Place of Residence $412,763 1.7% 1485 Plus: Dividends, rent, interest $55,837 21.5% 780 Plus: Transfer payments $238,137 13.0% 2882 Equals: Personal Income by Place of Residence $706,737 6.6% 1691 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis (*adj = Adjusted for Inflation) 5-Year % Rank in % Poverty Estimates Number Rank in U.S. Change Change Poverty rate in 2011 19.6 961 -- -- In 2000 18.4 527 6.5% 2757 Poverty rate for children under 18 in 2011 26.8 1227 -- -- In 2000 25.6 572 4.7% 2871 Source: US Census Bureau

Labor Force for Boone County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Labor Force Annual Averages in 2012 Number % of U.S. U.S. Rank in U.S. Total Labor Force 9,306 0.01% 154,975,000 1834 5-year % change -1.2% - 1.2% 1850 10-year % change -4.6% - 7.0% 2422 Employed 8,296 0.01% 142,469,000 1859 5-year % change -7.9% - -2.4% 2481 10-year % change -7.9% - 4.4% 2540 Unemployed 1,010 0.01% 12,506,000 1547 5-year % change 145.7% - 76.7% 67 10-year % change 36.5% - 49.3% 1461 Unemployment Rate 10.9 134.57% 8.1 345 5-year % change 147.7% - 76.1% 56 10-year % change 43.4% - 39.7% 1186 Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: ACS 2011 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 17,321 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 1,883 10.9% 438 6.1% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 2,928 16.9% 152 8.5% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 7,692 44.4% 255 28.6% Some College, No Degree 2,686 15.5% 2,919 21.0% Associate Degree 744 4.3% 2,970 7.6% Bachelor's Degree 843 4.9% 3,159 17.7% Graduate, Professional or Doctorate Degree 545 3.1% 2,899 10.5% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: Census 2000 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 17,282 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 2,592 15.0% 350 7.5% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 3,621 21.0% 207 12.1% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 7,102 41.1% 478 28.6% Some College, No Degree 2,098 12.1% 3,070 21.0% Associate Degree 631 3.7% 2,587 6.3% Bachelor's Degree 839 4.9% 3,001 15.5% Graduate or Professional Degree 399 2.3% 3,049 8.9% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Rank of Workers Living in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 8,511 1,780 100.0% Working in County 4,650 1,903 54.6% 2,348 Working Elsewhere 3,861 1,395 45.4% 787 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Pct Dist. Rank of People Working in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 8,283 1,642 100.0% Living in County 4,650 1,903 56.1% 2,935 Living Elsewhere 3,633 1,074 43.9% 206 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Commuting Flows in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. Pct Dist. Gross Flow (Living Elsewhere + Working Elsewhere) 7,494 1,249 100% Net Flow (Living Elsewhere - Working Elsewhere) -228 1,216 Largest Single Inflow : Raleigh County, WV 1,045 13.9% Largest Single Outflow :Kanawha County, WV 2,868 38.3% Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.)

Top Ten Employers in Boone County

1. Elk Run Coal Company

2. Boone County Board of Education

3. Independence Coal Company

4. Hobet Mining, Inc.

5. Spartan Mining Co.

6. Pine Ridge Coal Co.

7. Eastern Associated Coal Corporation

8. Alpha Appalachia Services, Inc.

9. Panther Branch Coal Co.

10. Boone Memorial Hospital

CLAY COUNTY

Clay County Annex

Clay County Library

Clay County was formed in 1858 from parts of Braxton, Kanawha and Nicholas counties. Named in honor of Henry Clay, a Kentucky statesman, Clay County is located in central West Virginia. The county area is 346.61 square miles and the 2000 census shows a population of 10,330. The mean annual temperature is 55 degrees and the mean annual snowfall ranges from 25-40 inches. The variation is due to mountainous terrain. Two-thirds of the county lies at elevations of 1,000 feet or more above sea level. The county seat is the Town of Clay, located 42 miles from Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital.

Distance to Major Cities from Clay

Atlanta...... 511 miles Chicago……………………………………………………………………………….. 589 miles Cincinnati…………………………………………………………………………….. 301 miles Cleveland…………………………………………………………………………….. 294 miles Columbus……………………………………………………………………………. 205 miles Lexington, KY………………………………………………………………………. 222 miles New York……………………………………………………………………………. 509 miles Pittsburgh…………………………………………………………………………… 204 miles Washington, DC………………………………………………………………….. 336 miles

Economy

Clay County is the poorest county in the region with a median household income in 2011 of $29,801. It is designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission as “distressed”. Economic challenges include its relative inaccessibility and lack of developable land. Over half (52.8%) of workers living in Clay County commuted outside the county to work in 2000. In 2012, health care and social assistance was the largest employment sector, with the largest single employer being the Clay County Board of Education.

Clay County is included in a federally designated Enterprise Community, named the Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone of West Virginia (CAEZ), and as such, is entitled to increased state and federal grant assistance. In the application for funding as a Rural Empowerment Zone, the following five areas of need are highlighted: 1) Economic Development; 2) Education; 3) Housing; 4) Health and 5) Emergency Services.

As a result of CAEZ, improvements in the education system have occurred: preschool programs are in place at elementary schools, a program in Clay County High School teaches students to build houses, and WV State University offers classes at their new facility (formerly the Valley Fork Elementary School). Local

22 students and non-traditional students can now earn a degree without leaving the County.

Valley Fork Community College

TRANSPORTATION

Highways Clay County is served by I-79, which provides service from Charleston, WV to Erie, PA and State Routes 36, 16 and 4.

Public Transportation Specialized Transportation, primarily for the elderly, is provided by the Clay County Development Corporation.

Rail Service Clay County currently has no operating rail lines.

Bus Service No public bus service is available.

Air Service Service to Clay County is provided by Yeager Airport, located 10 minutes from downtown Charleston and about an hour from Clay.

UTILTIES

Water Water is provided by The Town of Clay, Clay County Public Service District, Clay-Roane Public Service District, and Queen Shoals Public Service District.

Electric Elk Power, American Electric Power (AEP) and Allegheny Power provide electrical power to the area.

Gas and Other Mountaineer Gas is the major provider.

The following “Quality of Life” facts exist in Clay County:

 Low crime rate  Two county-wide ambulance services  Fully equipped volunteer fire department  One national Blue Ribbon school  Public Library  Primary Health Care Center  Nursing and Rehabilitation Center  Clay County Wellness Center  Annually held events include the Golden Delicious Apple Festival, the July 4th celebration, and Agricultural Fair.  County and Municipal Park and Pool  28-acre park near Maysel  Fishing, swimming and canoeing is available on the Elk River  J. G. Bradley Campground  Buffalo and Gauley Creek Scenic Railroad  Within 1 hour of State Capitol

Home of the Golden Delicious Festival

Overview for Clay County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Clay County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 341.9 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 27.2 per square mile. On the most recent census form, 99.2% of the population reported only one race, with 0.1% of these reporting African- American. The population of this county is 0.4% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.50 persons compared to an average family size of 3.00 persons.

In 2012 health care and social assistance was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $20,513. Per capita income grew by 20.8% between 2001 and 2011 (adjusted for inflation). People & Income Overview Rank Industry Overview (2012) Rank Value Value (By Place of Residence) in U.S. (By Place of Work) in U.S. Population (2012) 9,297 2494 Covered Employment 1,771 2707 Growth (%) since 2010 Census -0.9% 2176 Avg wage per job $37,661 967 Households (2011) 3,512 2593 Manufacturing - % all jobs in County 2.5% 2505 Labor Force (persons) (2012) 3,257 2694 Avg wage per job $53,179 617 Transportation & Warehousing - % all Unemployment Rate (2012) 12.3 170 1.1% 2152 jobs in County Per Capita Personal Income $23,708 3038 Avg wage per job $30,021 2972 (2011) Median Household Income Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs $29,802 2997 20.1% 163 (2011) in County Poverty Rate (2011) 29.2 150 Avg wage per job $20,513 2138 H.S. Diploma or More - % of Finance and Insurance - % all jobs in 69.8 3,027 D N/A Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr) County Bachelor's Deg. or More - % of 7.6 3,185 Avg wage per job D N/A Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr)

Population for Clay County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Population Over Time Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2012 9,297 2494 <0.01% 313,914,040 2010 9,386 2492 <0.01% 308,745,538 2000 10,330 2412 <0.01% 281,421,906 1990 9,983 2388 <0.01% 248,790,925 1980 11,265 2279 <0.01% 226,542,250 2000 to 2010 % change -9.1% 2889 9.7% 1990 to 2010 % change -6.0% 2644 24.1% 1980 to 2010 % change -16.7% 2739 36.3% Source: US Census Bureau Components of Population Change in Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2011/2012 Net Domestic Migration (chg 2011/2012) -110 1985 Net International Migration (chg 2011/2012) 0 2606 <0.01% 885,804 Natural Increase (births minus deaths) 17 1633 <0.01% 1,440,420 Births 124 2360 <0.01% 3,953,593 Deaths 107 2441 <0.01% 2,513,173 Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Population Estimates by Age in 2012 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Preschool (0 to 4) 617 2402 6.6% 6.4% School Age (5 to 17) 1,594 2474 17.1% 17.1% College Age (18 to 24) 651 2559 7.0% 10.0% Young Adult (25 to 44) 2,101 2476 22.6% 26.4% Older Adult(45 to 64) 2,726 2464 29.3% 26.4% Older (65 plus) 1,608 2507 17.3% 13.7% Median Age = Median Age 42.2 1170 37.4 Sources: US Census Bureau; Median age calculated by the IBRC. Population Estimates by Race and Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. Hispanic Origin in 2012 in County in U.S. American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone 20 2874 0.2% 1.2% Asian Alone 6 3013 0.1% 5.1% Black Alone 14 2952 0.2% 13.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone 2 2483 0.0% 0.2% White Alone 9,165 2365 98.6% 77.9% Two or More Race Groups 90 2644 1.0% 2.4% Hispanic or Latino (can be of any race) Non-Hispanic or Latino 9,250 2426 99.5% 83.1% Hispanic or Latino 47 3031 0.5% 16.9% Source: US Census Bureau Hispanic or Latino Population in 2011 Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. (can be of any race) in County in U.S. Hispanic 14 3141 0.1% 16.1% Mexican 12 3085 0.1% 10.4% Cuban 0 1781 0.0% 0.6% Puerto Rican 0 2479 0.0% 1.5% Other 2 2933 0.0% 3.6% White, Not Hispanic (reporting white alone) 9,353 2262 98.4% 64.2% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5 Year Estimates

Households and Housing for Clay County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Pct All Hhlds Pct All Hhlds Households in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Total Households 3,512 2593 100.0% 100.0% Family Households 2,509 2556 71.4% 66.7% Married with Children 807 2393 23.0% 20.7% Married without Children 1,211 2576 34.5% 28.6% Single Parents 180 2802 5.1% 9.6% Other 311 2315 8.9% 7.7% Non-family Households 1,003 2661 28.6% 33.3% Living Alone 936 2620 26.7% 27.3% Average Household Size 2.69 616 Average Family Household Size 3.30 672 Source: US Census Bureau Pct All HU Pct All HU Housing Units in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. 2010 Housing Units (Census count) 4,572 2500 Total Housing Units (ACS estimate) 4,604 2570 100.0% 100.0% Occupied 3,512 2593 76.3% 87.6% Owner Occupied 2,816 2535 61.2% 57.9% Renter Occupied 696 2703 15.1% 29.7% Vacant 1,092 2223 23.7% 12.4% For seasonal or recreational use 704 1166 15.3% 3.7% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Residential Building Permits in 2012 Units Cost ($000) in County in U.S. Total Permits Filed 8 100.0% 100.0% $193 Single Family 8 100.0% 62.5% $193 Two Family 0 0.0% 1.6% $0 Three & Four Family 0 0.0% 1.5% $0 Five Families and More 0 0.0% 34.4% $0 Source: US Census Bureau

Income and Poverty for Clay County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Median Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Median household income in 2011 $29,802 2997 59.0% Median household income in 2000 (adj. for inflation) $30,834 3049 56.2% 5-year percent change 2000 to 2011 -3.3% 819 Source: US Census Bureau Per Capita Personal Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Per capita income - 2011 $23,708 3038 57.0% Per capita income - 2001 (adj. for inflation) $19,623 3074 49.6% Per capita income - 1991 (adj. for inflation) $15,561 3089 47.5% Per capita income - 1981 (adj. for inflation) $14,303 3047 51.6% 10-year % change 20.8% 725 20-year % change 52.4% 593 30-year % change 65.8% 906 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis 5-Year % Change Rank in % Personal Income in 2011 ($000) Number (adj*) Change Total Earnings by Place of Work $115,829 -7.3% 2336 Minus: Contributions for government social $14,123 -16.6% 2739 insurance Personal contributions for government social $7,657 -10.5% 857 insurance Employer contributions for government social $6,466 -22.9% 3046 insurance Plus: Adjustment for residence $13,856 0.7% 1593 Equals: Net Earnings by Place of Residence $115,562 -5.1% 2269 Plus: Dividends, rent, interest $19,180 45.4% 135 Plus: Transfer payments $87,098 16.9% 2659 Equals: Personal Income by Place of Residence $221,840 5.9% 1815 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis (*adj = Adjusted for Inflation) 5-Year % Rank in % Poverty Estimates Number Rank in U.S. Change Change Poverty rate in 2011 29.2 150 -- -- In 2000 24.2 138 20.7% 2164 Poverty rate for children under 18 in 2011 41.6 126 -- -- In 2000 34.0 114 22.4% 2267 Source: US Census Bureau

Labor Force for Clay County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Labor Force Annual Averages in 2012 Number % of U.S. U.S. Rank in U.S. Total Labor Force 3,257 <0.01% 154,975,000 2694 5-year % change -6.5% - 1.2% 2728 10-year % change -10.9% - 7.0% 2906 Employed 2,858 <0.01% 142,469,000 2722 5-year % change -12.3% - -2.4% 2913 10-year % change -13.0% - 4.4% 2893 Unemployed 399 <0.01% 12,506,000 2335 5-year % change 76.5% - 76.7% 1021 10-year % change 7.5% - 49.3% 2646 Unemployment Rate 12.3 151.85% 8.1 170 5-year % change 89.2% - 76.1% 731 10-year % change 21.8% - 39.7% 2050 Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: ACS 2011 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 6,561 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 921 14.0% 244 6.1% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 1,059 16.1% 230 8.5% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 2,901 44.2% 271 28.6% Some College, No Degree 824 12.6% 3,129 21.0% Associate Degree 359 5.5% 2,580 7.6% Bachelor's Degree 285 4.3% 3,190 17.7% Graduate, Professional or Doctorate Degree 212 3.2% 2,860 10.5% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: Census 2000 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 6,766 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 1,293 19.1% 160 7.5% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 1,162 17.2% 719 12.1% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 3,010 44.5% 201 28.6% Some College, No Degree 651 9.6% 3,133 21.0% Associate Degree 156 2.3% 3,043 6.3% Bachelor's Degree 295 4.4% 3,058 15.5% Graduate or Professional Degree 199 2.9% 2,813 8.9% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Rank of Workers Living in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 3,128 2,642 100.0% Working in County 1,475 2,788 47.2% 2,647 Working Elsewhere 1,653 2,180 52.8% 495 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Pct Dist. Rank of People Working in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 2,250 2,702 100.0% Living in County 1,475 2,788 65.6% 2,614 Living Elsewhere 775 2,306 34.4% 527 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Commuting Flows in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. Pct Dist. Gross Flow (Living Elsewhere + Working Elsewhere) 2,428 2,307 100% Net Flow (Living Elsewhere - Working Elsewhere) -878 1,690 Largest Single Inflow : Nicholas County, WV 221 9.1% Largest Single Outflow :Kanawha County, WV 901 37.1% Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.)

29 Top 10 Employers in Clay County

1. Clay County Board of Education

2. Amvest WV Coal, LLC

3. Clay Co. Development Corp.

4. Little Eagle Coal Co., LLC

5. Diversicare Leasing Corp. (Laurel Nursing & Rehab. Center)

6. Clay Trucking, Inc.

7. Community Care of WV., Inc.

8. Clay County Commission

9. Oasis Outsourcing V, Inc.

10. Gino’s Distributing, Inc.

KANAWHA COUNTY

Capitol Market

Charleston Area Medical Center

Downtown Charleston

Kanawha County combines the scenic beauty of the Appalachian Mountains with the developmental potential provided by a major river system and mild climate. It is the largest county in the region with a population of 191,179 in 2012. The Kanawha River Valley provides much of the flat land used for development in the area. In addition, the Elk River and Coal River serve Kanawha County. In Charleston, the Kanawha River lies at 600 feet above sea level. Kanawha County has 913 square miles. The area’s geographical location and surrounding mountains insulate it from tornadoes and hurricanes. The mean annual precipitation is 42 inches; snowfall averages 32 inches per year.

Distance to Major Cities from Charleston

Atlanta...... 504 miles Chicago……………………………………………………………………………….. 541 miles Cincinnati…………………………………………………………………………….. 200 miles Cleveland…………………………………………………………………………….. 252 miles Columbus……………………………………………………………………………. 167 miles Lexington……………………………………………………………………………. 178 miles New York……………………………………………………………………………. 530 miles Pittsburgh…………………………………………………………………………… 227 miles Washington, DC………………………………………………………………….. 361 miles

32 Transportation

Highways

Three major interstates serve the Kanawha Valley: I-64, I-79 and I-77. Construction of a new $82.8 million Interstate 64 bridge over the Kanawha River between Dunbar and South Charleston was recently completed. The bridge is the longest continuous segmental span in the United States, measuring 2,975 feet long, including the 760-foot main span over the Kanawha River.

Completed or planned highway improvements:

 Replace and widen the Henderson Bridge over the Kanawha River between St. Albans and Nitro. $25 million. Project underway, with completion in the fall of 2013.

 Upgrade I-64 Bridge between Dunbar and South Charleston from 4 to 8 lanes. $110 million. Completed in 2012.

 Upgrade WV 601 (Jefferson Road) in South Charleston from 2 to 5 lanes from US 60 (MacCorkle Avenue) to US 119 (Corridor G). Will include re- alignment of Kanawha Turnpike intersection, new Davis Creek bridge, and possibly, a grade-separated railroad crossing. $50 million. Projected completion in 2016.

The Kanawha River has three locks and dams. All three have recently undergone major expansion projects: Winfield – 1997; London – 2003; and Marmet – 2009.

Public Transportation

The Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KVRTA) serves Kanawha County and portions of Fayette and Putnam Counties. KVRTA operates a network of 21 fixed routes oriented around the commercial center of Charleston.

Limited bus service began in January, 2009 between Huntington and Charleston, as part of an agreement with KVRTA and Tri-State Transit Authority.

Rail Service

Rail freight service is supplied by CSX, on the southern side of the Kanawha River, and Norfolk-Southern on the northern side of Kanawha River.

33 Amtrak offers limited service several times a week.

Air Service

Yeager Airport in Charleston offers competitive airfares to destinations throughout the world and nonstop flights to ten major cities. The airport is a short drive from downtown Charleston and only a few minutes from the intersection of three major interstates. Yeager has 2 runways of 6802 and 4750 feet in length. It serves as a U.S. Customs Port of Entry and has 5 major airlines: American, United, Delta, Spirit and US Airways Express.

UTILITIES

Water

WV-American Water provides water through most of Kanawha County.

Electric

American Electric Power (AEP) provides electrical power throughout Kanawha County.

Gas and Other

Natural gas is supplied by Mountaineer Gas. Coal, fuel oil and propane are readily available from local suppliers.

Economy

Major industries in Kanawha County include healthcare, government, chemicals and manufacturing. There are more than 6,000 businesses in the County, representing more employment opportunities than any county in the State.

There are fourteen (14) municipalities in Kanawha County: They are: Belle, Cedar Grove, Charleston, Chesapeake, Clendenin, Dunbar, East Bank, Glasgow, Handley, Marmet, Nitro, Pratt, St. Albans and South Charleston.

Four natural gas stations will be built in West Virginia by 2014 by IGS Energy- CNG Services. One of the stations will be in Charleston, which is expected to be open by fall of 2013. Officials say using compressed natural gas as a vehicle fuel creates 30 percent less carbon dioxide than gasoline or diesel fuel.

NGK Sparkplugs plans to add an 11,000 square-foot facility to its Sissonville campus. With the expansion, NGK plans to add 34 jobs by the end of 2013. The

34 company plans to begin producing M12 sparkplugs and ZFAS oxygen sensors for vehicles.

The Chemical Alliance Zone (CAZ) will work with national economic development firm Fourth Economy Consulting and various partners to revitalize its business incubator in the West Virginia Regional Technology Park. Partners include the Charleston Area Alliance (CAA), INNOVA Commercialization Group, MATRIC, TechConnect West Virginia, West Virginia Regional Technology Park Corporation, and West Virginia University. The incubator will provide business support services and physical lab and pilot plant facilities to help new tech companies successfully develop, ramp up and enter commercial markets. The planning phase to revamp the incubator – named “Tech Park Incubator-Accelerator – is expected to take approximately 18 months.

Gestamp, South Charleston

Gestamp West Virginia plans to employ 250 additional people at their South Charleston facility by the end of 2014, according to a company official. Employment at the South Charleston facility has increased from only nine people to over 100 since June, 2012. The increase in employment is part of the company’s business plan to employ 400 people within 5 years of start-up.

West Virginia will host the Travel South Showcase for the first time in Charleston on February 23-26, 2014. Travel South Showcase is an invitation-only marketplace, exclusively for southern tourism organizations to connect with qualified tour operators. As host, West Virginia will have the opportunity to show tourism industry leaders many of the state’s attractions and recreational activities.

The City of Dunbar has received two grants to beautify sections of the downtown area. The first grant is for 10th Street from Grosscup Avenue to Dunbar Avenue. The second is for Dunbar Avenue from 10th Street to 14th Street.

The City of St. Albans has been awarded its fourth Transportation Enhancement Grant for $245,000. The grant will be used to replace lighting and sidewalks along Kanawha Terrace and several other streets.

In January 2013, the Dick Henderson Memorial Bridge (Nitro/St. Albans Bridge) closed to remove the existing superstructure, and rebuild a three-lane facility using a steel plate girder design. The purpose of the project is to replace the existing superstructure of the bridge to meet current design standards, including suitable weight limits to better serve the residential, commercial and business community needs of the cities of Saint Albans and Nitro.

The bridge was built in 1934 by McClintic Marshall Corporation of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The bridge consists of a three span cantilever Warren through truss with an overall length of 1,367 feet. In 2008 the weight limit on the bridge was restricted due to deterioration. The project is scheduled to be completed in November, 2013.

As the City of Charleston moves forward with revising and adopting its new downtown redevelopment plan, work on two downtown hotels progresses. A future Courtyard by Marriott and a Four Points by Sheraton, are part of the plan’s proposed “Civic District”, which centers on the Charleston Civic Center. The five-story Courtyard by Marriott is expected to open by July, 2014. Further up the street, renovations have begun at the Ramada Inn (formerly the Charleston House). Once the renovations are complete, the hotel will shut down for a few days and reopen as a Four Points by Sheraton, the first one in the state.

The former Charleston House that will become a Four Point by Sheraton Hotel

A new Courtyard Marriott is under construction

The transit station area in Charleston is undergoing a makeover, through a grant secured by the Charleston Area Alliance from the EPA for “Greening America’s Capitals”. Slack Plaza, located in the northwest area of Charleston, between Summers and Laidley Streets, functions as a pedestrian thruway, transit mall and gathering space.

37 American Airlines began daily Charleston-Dallas nonstop flights at Yeager Airport on June 12, 2013. The new flight will improve the local economy as more businesses from the southwest will now have easy access to the capital city. The new daily flight will also be helpful for the oil and gas industry because of the expertise in the Dallas area. The new flight will help bring staff from the Boy Scouts of America, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas, to West Virginia for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree in July. The 10-day even is expected to bring more than 40,000 scouts and another 200,000 tourists to the area.

Entrance to Yeager Airport

The John D. Rockefeller Terminal at Yeager Airport

The Executive Air Terminal at Yeager Airport

A $700,000 renovation project has been completed at the Executive Air Terminal at Charleston’s Yeager Airport. The newly renovated terminal, which serves private aircraft, features a seating area with new black leather couches and chairs, conference areas with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, updated restrooms and accent lighting. The seating area can accommodate more than 40 people. The Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority paid for the building renovations, while Executive Air paid for furniture, according to airport director Rick Atkinson.

The Ashton Place Kroger in Charleston began renovating its 52,000 square-foot store in early May, 2013. The renovation will cost more than $10 million and will take at least nine months to complete. Kroger will add about 16,800 square feet to the current store. Twenty-five hourly positions will be filled to cater to the expanded departments.

Charleston’s Ashton Place Kroger

The Charleston Town Center’s Court Street Entrance

The Charleston Town Center Court St. Entrance

The Charleston Town Center’s Court Street entrance is undergoing an $800,000 renovation. The outside improvements include replacing all concrete surfaces between JC Penney and Five Guys Burgers & Fries, increasing the size of sidewalks, adding more green space, removing the loading zone at Tidewater Grill, adding more privacy for restaurant patios and improving accessibility of the pick-up lane at Chili’s and Outback Steakhouse. The upgrades should be completed by November, 2013. The streetscape project will increase lighting by adding 11 street light poles. Last year (2012), the mall spent $7 million for interior upgrades, including wi-fi access and new flooring.

40 Governor Earl Ray Tomblin honored a record-setting 52 West Virginia businesses with the Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry awards. This award honors companies that have successfully exported to a new country in the past year. Our region’s awards are: Air Robotics, Charleston – Italy, Israel, Romania; ConConveyWeight LLC Dunbar – Dominican Republic, Russia; Cyclops, South Charleston – Columbia, South Korea; Precision Samplers, South Charleston – Columbia; Preiser Scientific, St. Albans – Bolivia; Terraquip Construction Products, Charleston – Australia, India, Ireland, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey; Walker Machinery, Belle – Saudia Arabia, South Africa, Germany.

The City of Charleston has begun an aggressive new marketing campaign to help lure more visitors to the capital city. The new marketing plan specifically targeted the National Boy Scout Jamboree which took place in Fayette County at the Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve on July 15-24. More than 40,000 Boy Scouts and their families descended on the Mount Hope area for the Jamboree. Many scouts and their families stayed in the Charleston area due to a shortage of hotel rooms in the Fayette County area.

Capitol Street (Downtown)

Charleston’s Kanawha Boulevard

The national Boy Scout Jamboree generated an estimated $170 million in income in the state’s economy and supported 848 jobs during the last four years, according to a recent study. The study by private consultants SYNEVA Economics of Asheville, North Carolina, reported that between 2010 and 2013, the project supported an average of 848 jobs, mostly in construction. The World Scout Jamboree, also held once every four years will be hosted at The Summit in 2019. The 2019 World Jamboree in West Virginia will mark the first time in more than 40 years that the event has been held on US soil.

42 Top 10 Employers in Kanawha County

1. Charleston Area Medical Center, Inc.

2. Kanawha Co. Board of Education

3. Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Hospital

4. Wal-Mart Associates, Inc.

5. WV Department of Highways

6. The Kroger Co.

7. City of Charleston municipality

8. WV Department of Health and Human Resources

9. US Postal Service

10. Charleston Hospital, Inc., (St. Francis Hospital)

Kanawha County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 901.6 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 213.2 per square mile. On the most recent census form, 98.0% of the population reported only one race, with 7.3% of these reporting African- American. The population of this county is 0.9% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.30 persons compared to an average family size of 2.80 persons.

In 2012 health care and social assistance was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $45,249. Per capita income grew by 7.9% between 2001 and 2011 (adjusted for inflation). People & Income Overview Rank Industry Overview (2012) Rank Value Value (By Place of Residence) in U.S. (By Place of Work) in U.S. Population (2012) 192,179 331 Covered Employment 105,087 250 Growth (%) since 2010 Census -0.5% 1863 Avg wage per job $42,534 486 Households (2011) 82,337 294 Manufacturing - % all jobs in County 3.1% 2430 Labor Force (persons) (2012) 90,086 353 Avg wage per job $66,366 205 Transportation & Warehousing - % all Unemployment Rate (2012) 6.4 2090 3.9% 766 jobs in County Per Capita Personal Income $42,704 525 Avg wage per job $55,353 258 (2011) Median Household Income Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs $40,409 1812 17.8% 308 (2011) in County Poverty Rate (2011) 17.2 1413 Avg wage per job $45,249 403 H.S. Diploma or More - % of Finance and Insurance - % all jobs in 86.5 1,318 4.6% 270 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr) County Bachelor's Deg. or More - % of 24.1 687 Avg wage per job $55,471 427 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr)

Labor Force for Kanawha County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Labor Force Annual Averages in 2012 Number % of U.S. U.S. Rank in U.S. Total Labor Force 90,086 0.06% 154,975,000 353 5-year % change -1.9% - 1.2% 1988 10-year % change -4.1% - 7.0% 2365 Employed 84,347 0.06% 142,469,000 343 5-year % change -4.6% - -2.4% 1876 10-year % change -5.2% - 4.4% 2238 Unemployed 5,739 0.05% 12,506,000 414 5-year % change 68.9% - 76.7% 1245 10-year % change 15.8% - 49.3% 2340 Unemployment Rate 6.4 79.01% 8.1 2090 5-year % change 73.0% - 76.1% 1112 10-year % change 20.8% - 39.7% 2083 Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: ACS 2011 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 137,838 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 6,434 4.7% 1,914 6.1% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 12,139 8.8% 1,820 8.5% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 51,963 37.7% 1,182 28.6% Some College, No Degree 25,881 18.8% 2,325 21.0% Associate Degree 8,247 6.0% 2,372 7.6% Bachelor's Degree 19,689 14.3% 1,003 17.7% Graduate, Professional or Doctorate Degree 13,485 9.8% 462 10.5% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: Census 2000 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 140,588 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 9,637 6.9% 1,839 7.5% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 18,464 13.1% 1,597 12.1% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 50,890 36.2% 1,280 28.6% Some College, No Degree 25,866 18.4% 2,055 21.0% Associate Degree 6,794 4.8% 2,041 6.3% Bachelor's Degree 17,530 12.5% 918 15.5% Graduate or Professional Degree 11,407 8.1% 476 8.9% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Rank of Workers Living in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 87,528 294 100.0% Working in County 79,906 237 91.3% 266 Working Elsewhere 7,622 808 8.7% 2,874 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Pct Dist. Rank of People Working in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 109,938 233 100.0% Living in County 79,906 237 72.7% 2,163 Living Elsewhere 30,032 211 27.3% 972 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Commuting Flows in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. Pct Dist. Gross Flow (Living Elsewhere + Working Elsewhere) 37,654 347 100% Net Flow (Living Elsewhere - Working Elsewhere) 22,410 96 Largest Single Inflow : Putnam County, WV 11,367 30.2% Largest Single Outflow :Putnam County, WV 3,500 9.3% Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.)

Population for Kanawha County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Population Over Time Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2012 192,179 331 0.06% 313,914,040 2010 193,058 324 0.06% 308,745,538 2000 200,073 276 0.07% 281,421,906 1990 207,619 241 0.08% 248,790,925 1980 231,414 195 0.10% 226,542,250 2000 to 2010 % change -3.5% 2475 9.7% 1990 to 2010 % change -7.0% 2688 24.1% 1980 to 2010 % change -16.6% 2733 36.3% Source: US Census Bureau Components of Population Change in Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2011/2012 Net Domestic Migration (chg 2011/2012) 253 406 Net International Migration (chg 2011/2012) 80 675 0.01% 885,804 Natural Increase (births minus deaths) -268 3106 -0.02% 1,440,420 Births 2,187 351 0.06% 3,953,593 Deaths 2,455 211 0.10% 2,513,173 Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Population Estimates by Age in 2012 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Preschool (0 to 4) 10,853 362 5.6% 6.4% School Age (5 to 17) 28,419 377 14.8% 17.1% College Age (18 to 24) 15,266 418 7.9% 10.0% Young Adult (25 to 44) 47,369 333 24.6% 26.4% Older Adult(45 to 64) 57,079 295 29.7% 26.4% Older (65 plus) 33,193 266 17.3% 13.7% Median Age = Median Age 42.5 1073 37.4 Sources: US Census Bureau; Median age calculated by the IBRC. Population Estimates by Race and Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. Hispanic Origin in 2012 in County in U.S. American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone 444 947 0.2% 1.2% Asian Alone 2,163 472 1.1% 5.1% Black Alone 14,470 423 7.5% 13.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone 77 638 0.0% 0.2% White Alone 171,032 302 89.0% 77.9% Two or More Race Groups 3,993 347 2.1% 2.4% Hispanic or Latino (can be of any race) Non-Hispanic or Latino 190,003 294 98.9% 83.1% Hispanic or Latino 2,176 1143 1.1% 16.9% Source: US Census Bureau Hispanic or Latino Population in 2011 Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. (can be of any race) in County in U.S. Hispanic 1,910 1238 1.0% 16.1% Mexican 839 1358 0.4% 10.4% Cuban 83 638 0.0% 0.6% Puerto Rican 231 849 0.1% 1.5% Other 757 759 0.4% 3.6% White, Not Hispanic (reporting white alone) 170,903 262 88.7% 64.2% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5 Year Estimates

Income and Poverty for Kanawha County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Median Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Median household income in 2011 $40,409 1812 80.0% Median household income in 2000 (adj. for inflation) $46,260 1477 84.3% 5-year percent change 2000 to 2011 -12.6% 2294 Source: US Census Bureau Per Capita Personal Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Per capita income - 2011 $42,704 525 102.8% Per capita income - 2001 (adj. for inflation) $39,571 304 100.0% Per capita income - 1991 (adj. for inflation) $31,779 353 97.1% Per capita income - 1981 (adj. for inflation) $27,030 531 97.4% 10-year % change 7.9% 1855 20-year % change 34.4% 1488 30-year % change 58.0% 1268 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis 5-Year % Change Rank in % Personal Income in 2011 ($000) Number (adj*) Change Total Earnings by Place of Work $6,957,946 -1.2% 1658 Minus: Contributions for government social $712,683 -17.6% 2801 insurance Personal contributions for government social $339,370 -17.9% 1890 insurance Employer contributions for government social $373,313 -17.3% 2962 insurance Plus: Adjustment for residence -$1,065,917 5.2% 1304 Equals: Net Earnings by Place of Residence $5,179,346 0.2% 1638 Plus: Dividends, rent, interest $1,046,029 -14.7% 2960 Plus: Transfer payments $1,987,309 16.6% 2676 Equals: Personal Income by Place of Residence $8,212,684 1.4% 2517 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis (*adj = Adjusted for Inflation) 5-Year % Rank in % Poverty Estimates Number Rank in U.S. Change Change Poverty rate in 2011 17.2 1413 -- -- In 2000 13.0 1392 32.3% 1538 Poverty rate for children under 18 in 2011 27.4 1145 -- -- In 2000 19.7 1250 39.1% 1440 Source: US Census Bureau

Households and Housing for Kanawha County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Pct All Hhlds Pct All Hhlds Households in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Total Households 82,337 294 100.0% 100.0% Family Households 50,461 319 61.3% 66.7% Married with Children 12,267 398 14.9% 20.7% Married without Children 25,250 285 30.7% 28.6% Single Parents 6,643 334 8.1% 9.6% Other 6,301 270 7.7% 7.7% Non-family Households 31,876 254 38.7% 33.3% Living Alone 27,457 238 33.3% 27.3% Average Household Size 2.31 2678 Average Family Household Size 3.02 2064 Source: US Census Bureau Pct All HU Pct All HU Housing Units in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. 2010 Housing Units (Census count) 92,618 297 Total Housing Units (ACS estimate) 92,789 294 100.0% 100.0% Occupied 82,337 294 88.7% 87.6% Owner Occupied 58,734 285 63.3% 57.9% Renter Occupied 23,603 306 25.4% 29.7% Vacant 10,452 310 11.3% 12.4% For seasonal or recreational use 599 1282 0.6% 3.7% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Residential Building Permits in 2012 Units Cost ($000) in County in U.S. Total Permits Filed 109 100.0% 100.0% $21,834 Single Family 109 100.0% 62.5% $21,834 Two Family 0 0.0% 1.6% $0 Three & Four Family 0 0.0% 1.5% $0 Five Families and More 0 0.0% 34.4% $0 Source: US Census Bureau

PUTNAM COUNTY

John Amos Power Plant Liberty Square

Rock Branch Industrial Park

Putnam County lies within the Allegheny Plateau. The Kanawha River Valley bisects Putnam County from southeast to northwest and provides much of the flat land used for development in the area. The County is located between West Virginia’s two largest cities – Charleston and Huntington. The mean annual precipitation is 42 inches; snowfall averages 32 inches per year. There are six (6) municipalities in Putnam County. They are: Bancroft, Buffalo, Eleanor, Hurricane, Poca and Winfield. Also, a portion of Nitro is located in Putnam County.

Distance to Major Cities from Winfield

Atlanta...... 534 miles Chicago……………………………………………………………………………….. 469 miles Cincinnati…………………………………………………………………………….. 180 miles Cleveland…………………………………………………………………………….. 275 miles Columbus……………………………………………………………………………. 200 miles Lexington……………………………………………………………………………. 170 miles New York……………………………………………………………………………. 570 miles Pittsburgh…………………………………………………………………………… 257 miles Washington, DC………………………………………………………………….. 365 miles

Economy

Putnam County is the fastest growing county in the region and the most affluent with a median household income in 2012 of $53,964. Putnam County has the advantage of being located between Charleston and Huntington and is connected by interstate highway to both cities. It is also endowed with a relatively large amount of flat developable land, both in the Teays Valley area and in the Kanawha River Valley. The recent 4-laning of U.S. 35 from I-64 to Buffalo (including a new I-64 interchange) has boosted economic development potential.

Teays Valley is mostly a mix of residential, retail and service development. Additional industrial, retail and service establishments can be found in the following industrial and business parks:

 Eleanor Industrial Park, Eleanor  Par Industrial Park, Nitro  HUB Industrial Park, Nitro  Rock Branch Industrial Park, Poca  Putnam Business Park, Fraziers Bottom  Teays Valley Industrial Park, Scott Depot

50 Putnam County rates in the top 20 percent of best communities to locate a company, according to Southern Business & Development Magazine. The magazine ranks Putnam County #47 out of 250 best southern communities. The study looks at population, population change, per capita income, median home price, cost of living index, unemployment rate, metro population and metro population change.

The City of Hurricane was named as one of America’s Best Places to Raise Kids for 2013. Businessweek teamed up with Bloomberg Rankings to evaluate more than 3,200 places nationwide with populations between 5,000 and 50,000. Public school performances, safety, the local job market, median income and county unemployment were the main factors in determining the rankings. Other factors included housing costs, commute time, poverty, adults’ educational attainment, share of households with children and diversity.

Putnam County officials are preparing 12 more acres of land in the county’s business park. The Putnam Business Park, located along U.S. 35, has 205 acres and about 50 of those have developed businesses on the north side of the highway, according to Gary Walton, Director of the Putnam Development Authority.

West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced on August 30, 2013 that Toyota Motor Manufacturing of West Virginia will invest $90 million in its Buffalo plant in Putnam County and create about 80 jobs. The investment will make the eighth expansion of the Putnam County facility since it opened in 1996.

Toyota previously had added 80 jobs at the Putnam County plant by investing $45 million to boost production at the facility. The effort is expected to enable TMMWV to produce 10,000 more transmissions per month. The expansion will also increase employment at the WV plant to 1,200 and Toyota’s total investment to $1.3 billion. TMMWV builds six-speed transmissions for the Avalon, Camry, Lexus RX350, Sienna and Venza.

Toyota was awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for the 9th year in a row. The Toyota Plant in Buffalo cuts its energy use by 4% and saved $300,000 annual when it installed a compressed air metering system in 2012. The savings alone is estimated to eliminate 10,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions while saving the company $1.2 million each year. During the past ten years, cumulative cost savings at 13 of Toyota’s North American plants totaled more than $370 million.

52 Tokyo-based company, which manufactures automotive thermostats for Toyota, Honda, Nissan and others, plans to expand its Fraziers Bottom location by 26,000 square feet.

TRANSPORTATION

Highways Putnam County is served by Interstate 64, which provides service from St. Louis MO to Richmond, VA, and by US Routes 35 and 60 and WV Routes 34 and 62.

Public Transportation Bus service from Charleston to Huntington (round trip once a day). Taxi service is now available through Teays Valley Taxi.

Rail Service Freight service is provided by CSX and Norfolk Southern. Amtrak service traverses the County, but the nearest stations are in Huntington and Charleston.

Air Service Air service for Putnam County is provided by Yeager Airport, located 10 minutes from downtown Charleston.

UTILTIES

Water Water is provided to Putnam County residents by American Water, Putnam PSD and the City of Hurricane.

Electric American Electric Power (AEP) provides electricity.

Gas and Other Natural gas is provided by Mountaineer Gas.

The City of Hurricane recently completed a solar panel project to provide power for the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Overview for Putnam County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Putnam County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 345.7 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 163.2 per square mile. On the most recent census form, 98.9% of the population reported only one race, with 0.9% of these reporting African- American. The population of this county is 0.9% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.50 persons compared to an average family size of 2.90 persons.

In 2012 construction was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $55,461. Per capita income grew by 20.1% between 2001 and 2011 (adjusted for inflation).

People & Income Overview Rank Industry Overview (2012) Rank Value Value (By Place of Residence) in U.S. (By Place of Work) in U.S. Population (2012) 56,435 898 Covered Employment 19,822 874 Growth (%) since 2010 Census 1.7% 590 Avg wage per job $44,653 355 Households (2011) 20,999 920 Manufacturing - % all jobs in County 10.4% 1399 Labor Force (persons) (2012) 27,151 895 Avg wage per job $63,035 260 Transportation & Warehousing - % all Unemployment Rate (2012) 5.8 2342 5.9% 366 jobs in County Per Capita Personal Income $40,617 695 Avg wage per job $44,838 1045 (2011) Median Household Income Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs $53,964 425 8.9% 1559 (2011) in County Poverty Rate (2011) 11.5 2543 Avg wage per job $38,897 859 H.S. Diploma or More - % of Finance and Insurance - % all jobs in 89.3 728 2.6% 1231 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr) County Bachelor's Deg. or More - % of 23.7 705 Avg wage per job $48,805 723 Adults 25+ (2011 ACS 5yr)

Population for Putnam County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Population Over Time Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2012 56,435 898 0.02% 313,914,040 2010 55,486 903 0.02% 308,745,538 2000 51,589 899 0.02% 281,421,906 1990 42,835 941 0.02% 248,790,925 1980 38,181 1001 0.02% 226,542,250 2000 to 2010 % change 7.6% 1029 9.7% 1990 to 2010 % change 29.5% 757 24.1% 1980 to 2010 % change 45.3% 701 36.3% Source: US Census Bureau Components of Population Change in Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. U.S. 2011/2012 Net Domestic Migration (chg 2011/2012) 337 345 Net International Migration (chg 2011/2012) 35 995 <0.01% 885,804 Natural Increase (births minus deaths) 33 1440 <0.01% 1,440,420 Births 572 998 0.01% 3,953,593 Deaths 539 886 0.02% 2,513,173 Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Population Estimates by Age in 2012 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Preschool (0 to 4) 3,161 947 5.6% 6.4% School Age (5 to 17) 9,901 870 17.5% 17.1% College Age (18 to 24) 3,809 1117 6.7% 10.0% Young Adult (25 to 44) 14,402 865 25.5% 26.4% Older Adult(45 to 64) 16,491 861 29.2% 26.4% Older (65 plus) 8,671 910 15.4% 13.7% Median Age = Median Age 41.3 1438 37.4 Sources: US Census Bureau; Median age calculated by the IBRC. Population Estimates by Race and Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. Hispanic Origin in 2012 in County in U.S. American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone 130 1759 0.2% 1.2% Asian Alone 483 925 0.9% 5.1% Black Alone 574 1696 1.0% 13.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone 24 1154 0.0% 0.2% White Alone 54,603 832 96.8% 77.9% Two or More Race Groups 621 1155 1.1% 2.4% Hispanic or Latino (can be of any race) Non-Hispanic or Latino 55,905 851 99.1% 83.1% Hispanic or Latino 530 1943 0.9% 16.9% Source: US Census Bureau Hispanic or Latino Population in 2011 Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Number Rank in U.S. (can be of any race) in County in U.S. Hispanic 521 1970 0.9% 16.1% Mexican 339 1880 0.6% 10.4% Cuban 22 1126 0.0% 0.6% Puerto Rican 0 2479 0.0% 1.5% Other 160 1530 0.3% 3.6% White, Not Hispanic (reporting white alone) 53,270 789 96.3% 64.2% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5 Year Estimates

Households and Housing for Putnam County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Pct All Hhlds Pct All Hhlds Households in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. Total Households 20,999 920 100.0% 100.0% Family Households 15,839 866 75.4% 66.7% Married with Children 5,439 750 25.9% 20.7% Married without Children 7,684 856 36.6% 28.6% Single Parents 1,435 1176 6.8% 9.6% Other 1,281 1043 6.1% 7.7% Non-family Households 5,160 1112 24.6% 33.3% Living Alone 4,415 1089 21.0% 27.3% Average Household Size 2.62 901 Average Family Household Size 3.07 1780 Source: US Census Bureau Pct All HU Pct All HU Housing Units in 2011 Number Rank in U.S. in County in U.S. 2010 Housing Units (Census count) 23,438 961 Total Housing Units (ACS estimate) 23,327 973 100.0% 100.0% Occupied 20,999 920 90.0% 87.6% Owner Occupied 18,084 815 77.5% 57.9% Renter Occupied 2,915 1475 12.5% 29.7% Vacant 2,328 1378 10.0% 12.4% For seasonal or recreational use 439 1541 1.9% 3.7% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Pct Dist. Residential Building Permits in 2012 Units Cost ($000) in County in U.S. Total Permits Filed 122 100.0% 100.0% $20,031 Single Family 114 93.4% 62.5% $19,457 Two Family 0 0.0% 1.6% $0 Three & Four Family 8 6.6% 1.5% $574 Five Families and More 0 0.0% 34.4% $0 Source: US Census Bureau

Income and Poverty for Putnam County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Median Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Median household income in 2011 $53,964 425 106.9% Median household income in 2000 (adj. for inflation) $56,838 508 103.6% 5-year percent change 2000 to 2011 -5.1% 1058 Source: US Census Bureau Per Capita Personal Income Number Rank in U.S. Percent of U.S. Per capita income - 2011 $40,617 695 97.7% Per capita income - 2001 (adj. for inflation) $33,821 861 85.5% Per capita income - 1991 (adj. for inflation) $26,283 1247 80.3% Per capita income - 1981 (adj. for inflation) $23,226 1360 83.7% 10-year % change 20.1% 753 20-year % change 54.5% 537 30-year % change 74.9% 600 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis 5-Year % Change Rank in % Personal Income in 2011 ($000) Number (adj*) Change Total Earnings by Place of Work $1,326,525 7.6% 933 Minus: Contributions for government social $139,275 -16.5% 2731 insurance Personal contributions for government social $66,817 -10.3% 836 insurance Employer contributions for government social $72,458 -21.6% 3032 insurance Plus: Adjustment for residence $480,685 26.4% 537 Equals: Net Earnings by Place of Residence $1,667,935 15.4% 588 Plus: Dividends, rent, interest $214,302 3.6% 2016 Plus: Transfer payments $392,628 26.2% 1518 Equals: Personal Income by Place of Residence $2,274,865 15.8% 708 Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis (*adj = Adjusted for Inflation) 5-Year % Rank in % Poverty Estimates Number Rank in U.S. Change Change Poverty rate in 2011 11.5 2543 -- -- In 2000 8.6 2527 33.7% 1471 Poverty rate for children under 18 in 2011 14.9 2712 -- -- In 2000 11.4 2568 30.7% 1858 Source: US Census Bureau

Labor Force for Putnam County, WV Part of: Charleston WV, Metropolitan Area Labor Force Annual Averages in 2012 Number % of U.S. U.S. Rank in U.S. Total Labor Force 27,151 0.02% 154,975,000 895 5-year % change -0.9% - 1.2% 1786 10-year % change 4.5% - 7.0% 1275 Employed 25,572 0.02% 142,469,000 883 5-year % change -3.4% - -2.4% 1610 10-year % change 3.5% - 4.4% 1154 Unemployed 1,579 0.01% 12,506,000 1120 5-year % change 67.4% - 76.7% 1288 10-year % change 22.6% - 49.3% 2043 Unemployment Rate 5.8 71.60% 8.1 2342 5-year % change 70.6% - 76.1% 1173 10-year % change 16.0% - 39.7% 2293 Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: ACS 2011 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 38,528 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 1,277 3.3% 2,553 6.1% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 2,829 7.3% 2,272 8.5% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 14,520 37.7% 1,182 28.6% Some College, No Degree 7,894 20.5% 1,847 21.0% Associate Degree 2,880 7.5% 1,594 7.6% Bachelor's Degree 5,684 14.8% 904 17.7% Graduate, Professional or Doctorate Degree 3,444 8.9% 588 10.5% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates Percent of Rank of % in U.S. % of Educational Attainment: Census 2000 Number Population 25+ U.S. Population 25+ Total Population 25 and Older 34,854 100.0% 100.0% Less Than 9th Grade 2,147 6.2% 2,046 7.5% 9th to 12th, No Diploma 3,506 10.1% 2,270 12.1% High School Graduate (incl. equiv.) 13,520 38.8% 808 28.6% Some College, No Degree 6,827 19.6% 1,738 21.0% Associate Degree 1,995 5.7% 1,524 6.3% Bachelor's Degree 4,446 12.8% 855 15.5% Graduate or Professional Degree 2,413 6.9% 663 8.9% Source: US Census Bureau Pct Dist. Rank of Workers Living in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 23,543 872 100.0% Working in County 9,681 1,251 41.1% 2,847 Working Elsewhere 13,862 476 58.9% 292 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Pct Dist. Rank of People Working in County in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. in County Pct Dist. Total 16,402 1,063 100.0% Living in County 9,681 1,251 59.0% 2,872 Living Elsewhere 6,721 721 41.0% 268 Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.) Commuting Flows in 2000 Number Rank in U.S. Pct Dist. Gross Flow (Living Elsewhere + Working Elsewhere) 20,583 575 100% Net Flow (Living Elsewhere - Working Elsewhere) -7,141 2,801 Largest Single Inflow : Kanawha County, WV 3,500 17.0% Largest Single Outflow :Kanawha County, WV 11,367 55.2% Source: US Census Bureau (Includes only domestic commuting for workers over 16 years old.)

Top 10 Employers in Putnam County

1. Putnam Co. Board of Education

2. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, WV, Inc.

3. Charleston Area Medical Center, Inc.

4. Appalachian Electric Power

5. Diamond Electric Manufacturing Corporation

6. Wal-Mart Associates, Inc.

7. Rite Aid of WV, Inc.

8. American Electric Power Service Corporation

9. U.S. Foodservice, Inc.

10. Putnam County Commission

SWOC Analysis

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges

60 Region III CEDS SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and challenges)

Region III Planning and Development Council have conducted a survey as part of the 5-year CEDS process. The questions on this survey follow questions and issues as identified in the EDA CEDS guidelines. This year, the survey has been condensed into a SWOC analysis format per the most recent recommendations from NADO presented at the 2012 EDA Philadelphia Regional Conference in Philadelphia, PA on July 10, 2012.

OVERVIEW

Region III is comprised of four counties and its twenty-five municipalities. The report describes economic development activities and proposed projects within the 4-county region. Our local governments and development agencies were asked to submit their projects to the CEDS process. Our CEDS Committee then convened to review and prioritize the projects.

It should be noted and recognized that since the inception of the CEDS for Region III, millions of dollars have been invested in economic development projects that are listed and tracked through this CEDS report.

The CEDS process is long and involved, seeking time and effort from many individuals and organizations throughout the community. The CEDS for the Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam counties are successful due to collaboration and outreach. This report is a compilation of efforts by staff and volunteers to critique all economic development activities within the region.

61 SWOC Analysis Participation

The CEDS Committee and Economic Development Agencies in Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam Counties participated in this SWOC analysis survey.

2013 CEDS Advisory Committee

Andy Skidmore, Money Concepts Larry Lodato, Boone Co. Development Authority Heather Vanater, Putnam Co. Development Authority Anne Barth, TechConnect WV Mike Aeiker, Charleston Area Alliance Damron Bradshaw, Upper Kanawha Valley Enterprise Community Mickey Brown, Boone County Commission Jerry Linkinoggor, Clay County Commission Lewis Payne, Payne Gallatin Jeff Boyd, Boyd Medical Mark Sankoff, Potesta Engineering Naomi Mallory, Chase Bank Jerry Elkins, MS Consultants Garry Pennington, Group Insurance Co. Katy Mallory, Steptoe & Johnson Curtis Hardman, Region 3 Workforce Investment Board Mike Matthews, Charleston Bldg. & Const. Trades Council Amanda Moore, Clay County Economic Coalition David Pierson, Jr., Pierson Lumber Co.

62 SWOC Analysis at a Glance (Top results for each category)

Strengths Opportunities

1. Transportation Access 1. Bank loans for business 2. Abundant Workforce 2. Out of country or state investors 3. Diversity of Industry and business 3. Hiring of laid off workers 4. Natural Resources 4. Shale Gas Industry 5. Education 5. Health Care. 6. WV Regional Technology Park.

Weaknesses Challenges

1. Lack of Developable Building Sites 1. Local businesses shutting down 2. Low high school and college 2. Workforce readiness graduation rates 3. Lack of Capital. 3. Layoff of workers 4. Few start up businesses in technology. 5. Lack of infrastructure 6. Shortage of venture capital.

Strengths

1. Transportation Access. Regional Access in the Kanawha-Putnam area is provided by three major Interstate facilities and three major US facilities: I-64, I-77, I-79, US 35, US 60, and US 119. These routes serve to connect the region to Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, and Beckley in West Virginia; Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland in Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Roanoke and Richmond, Virginia; and Winston-Salem in North Carolina.

Interstate 64 is an east-west Interstate freeway with current termini in Lake Wentzville, Missouri in the west and Chesapeake, Virginia in the east. There are 184 miles of Interstate 64 within the state of West Virginia. The facility connects Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, and Lewisburg within the state.

Interstate 77 is a north-south Interstate freeway with current termini in Columbia, South Carolina in the south and Cleveland, Ohio in the north. The facility is a toll road for 88 miles of its 186 miles within the state of West Virginia, and shares its alignment with Interstate 64 between Beckley and Charleston. I-77 connects Beckley, Charleston, Princeton, Bluefield and Parkersburg within the state.

Interstate 79 is a north-south Interstate freeway with current termini in Charleston, West Virginia to the south and Erie, Pennsylvania to the north. Approximately 160 miles of this facility traverses West Virginia, and it connects Charleston to Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Morgantown within the state and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania outside of the state.

US35 is a north-south US Highway connecting Charleston and Michigan City, Indiana. The route is being relocated in Putnam and Mason Counties to a new four-lane facility.

US60 is a major east-west US highway, stretching over 2,600 miles between Quartzsite, Arizona and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Within the state of West Virginia, the route connects Huntington, Charleston and Lewisburg.

US 119 connects Pikeville, Kentucky to Sandy Township, Pennsylvania. The facility is known primarily as Corridor G and serves as a major connection between the residential and commercial areas south of Charleston and the downtown. Appalachian Corridor G begins in

64 Williamson, on the Kentucky State line and ends at MacCorkle Avenue. (Source: RIC’s 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan)

A navigable river, the Kanawha, supports economic development in Region III. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a navigation channel 300 feet wide and nine feet deep in the Kanawha River, which flows through Putnam and Kanawha Counties in Region III. Waterborne commerce has tripled on the Kanawha River in the last thirty years. The cargoes transported on the Kanawha include coke and coal, salt brine, sand and gravel, oil and gas, iron and steel and miscellaneous products. The Marmet Locks and Dam now has twin 56’x360’ lock chambers which expedites transporting cargo. The Winfield Locks in Putnam County is able to accommodate nine huge barges at a time.

Rail service is available for commercial and industrial usage. The rail lines link Region III to all United States market areas. Norfolk Southern and CSX Systems handle the major freight needs of coal, chemical and other industries.

Yeager Airport in Charleston provides air service in the Region. Yeager provides non-stop flights to twelve airports in eleven cities: Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Chicago, both Washington DC airports, Myrtle Beach, and Orlando.

2. Abundant Workforce. A strong work ethic is one of the major factors that attracted companies more than seventy years ago, and continues to be an important consideration for new businesses. The Region offers trained production supervisors; chemists; chemical technicians; plant and equipment operators; molding, forming and extrusion machine operators; machinists and industrial mechanics.

Region III, as well as the entire state of West Virginia, is developing a national reputation for its training programs and workers who are committed to getting the job done. Employee turnover among all industries is 8.5 percent compared to a national average of 8.8 percent. National benchmark studies show that our region’s workforce is among the most productive in the nation, and training programs are structured so that they help business owners get in the best possible position to be successful. Welders, electricians and machinists, once called blue-collar workers, are now at the top of their fields, and are paid very well. Among them, is the Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program that provides new and expanding businesses with technical and financial assistance to train, retrain or upgrade the skills of their employees. The program emphasizes employee training

65 designed to accommodate the needs of individual employers. The GGWFP works closely with education and industry to provide the most advanced knowledge possible. In fiscal year 2012, the GGWFP enabled 10,530 workers to receive training. The state provided over $3 million dollars to improve the quality of our workforce.

Companies such as Toyota in Buffalo (Putnam County) have partnered with Bridgemont Community and Technical College to begin a new program called “Advanced Manufacturing Technician” or AMT. This education-to-work program will give students hands-on experience in manufacturing while they earn a two-year degree. Other community and technical colleges are developing programs for students to train for jobs that are in demand and also to help connect companies with students to do those jobs. Those programs are also extending into West Virginia’s high schools. Two pilot projects were introduced this school year: One guides students toward careers in manufacturing, the other toward the oil and gas industry. The curriculum was developed by meeting with industry leaders and determining their needs, and includes skill sets all companies look for, such as problem solving and leadership.

3. Diversity of Industry and Businesses. The number of industries and businesses reflect the diversity of the Region. The motor vehicle parts and equipment cluster is one of the fastest growing sectors of the West Virginia economy. Between 1990 and 2004, West Virginia has seen more than $1 billion in new investment and 1,500 new jobs. Chemical and polymer manufacturing in West Virginia is home to nearly 150 companies that employ 12,800 workers. The state is ranked sixth in the share of overall gross domestic product that comes from chemicals and polymers and nearly 25 percent of the state’s $4.8 billion in international exports are chemicals and polymers.

The Chemical Alliance Zone (CAZ) was created in 1999 to channel and leverage efforts to strengthen our local chemical industry. A nonprofit collaborative of citizens, labor leaders, educators, government officials, chemical executives and business leaders, the CAZ is dedicated to maintaining and expanding the business of chemistry throughout West Virginia. Using a synergistic approach, the CAZ promotes the region to chemical companies, businesses that use their products and entities that produce related consumer-end goods. Companies seeking a new site to expand, relocate or build new facilities will discover that CAZ offers a promising future based on a long history of success.

66 A variety of research and development-oriented firms are locating at the WV Regional Technology Park to capitalize on the research environment. Their presence and capabilities can support research and development and product introduction plans. Long-term arrangements include sale or lease of property, shared investments and joint ventures for new products.

The region, particularly the Kanawha Valley has diversified its economy in recent decades. Although still an important chemical manufacturing location, the Charleston area serves as a regional center for health care and professional services. The existence of two universities and two community colleges, as well as the seat of state government, provides additional economic stability.

Charleston also houses a number of corporate headquarters, telecommunications/telemarketing centers and business service centers.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Buffalo celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2011. Toyota first broke ground for the WV plant in 1996. During the decade-and-half since then, Toyota has expanded six times, representing an investment of $1 billion. The company employs more than 1,000 people.

Toyota has added 80 jobs at the Putnam County plant by investing $45 million to boost production at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia (TMMWV) facility in Buffalo. The effort is expected to enable TMMWV to produce 10,000 more transmission per month. The expansion will also increase employment at the WV plant to 1,200 and Toyota’s total investment to $1.3 billion. TMMWV builds six-speed transmissions for the Avalon, Camry, Lexus RX350, Sienna and Venza.

A $4 million investment in Putnam County’s Nippon Thermostat plant will create 30 additional jobs by 2016, more than doubling the business’s current workforce, according to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin at an announcement made in August. The Tokyo-based company, which manufactures automotive thermostats for Toyota, Honda, Nissan and others, plans to expand its Fraziers Bottom location by 26,000 square feet.

DuPont Plant, Belle, WV

4. Natural Resources. The region is rich in natural resources, such as coal, natural gas, oil and timber. Coal and natural gas are available as commodities as well as for use in the chemical, other manufacturing and electrical generation industries. The Kanawha River supplies cheap, reliable transportation, primarily for coal. Historically, salt was an important resource and gave rise to the region’s chemical industry. The abundance of sand resulted in a thriving glass industry for a time.

Other natural resources, such as forests, scenic beauty and fishable streams, are important “quality of life” factors. These make the region a more desirable place to live, indirectly supporting economic development.

5. Education. The region has seven fully accredited colleges and universities offering quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Charleston hosts a branch campus of West Virginia University that serves as a clinical campus for the university’s medical and dental schools. Students at either school must complete their class work at the university’s main campus in Morgantown, however, but can complete their clinical rotations at hospitals in Charleston. Charleston is also home to a 1,300-student private college, the University of Charleston. The college also opened a school of Pharmacy in 2006. Located within the immediate area are: West Virginia State University in Institute; Bridgemont and Kanawha Valley Community and Technical Colleges in South Charleston, and Marshall University’s South Charleston campus. The region is also home to the Charleston branch of the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing, an independent program administered by Marshall University.

University of Charleston

West Virginia State University

Marshall University’s South Charleston campus

69 Located approximately 30 miles from Charleston is West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery. It is West Virginia University’s largest regional campus and focuses mainly on engineering programs.

Southern West Virginia Community College and the Boone County Career Center and Vocational Technical School, located just off Corridor G (US 119) near Danville, combines a community college and technical school on the same campus.

People living in or around Clay County also have access to the Valley Fork Education Center, only five minutes off Interstate 79, where programs are offered for the fastest growing careers in West Virginia – healthcare, energy and business technology. The facility, once the home of the Valley Fork Elementary School, and operated through the Kanawha Valley Community and Technology College, opened for college students in the fall of 2008.

In Putnam County, at Marshall University’s Teays Valley branch, students can take a variety of undergraduate and graduate classes. Strayer University also has a Teays Valley campus that is located off Exit 39 on I-64.

6. WV Regional Technology Park. The West Virginia Regional Technology Park (Tech Park) in South Charleston is the newest research, education and technology campus in West Virginia’s higher education system.

The facility has a 60-year history of research and technological contributions, having been established by the Dow Chemical predecessor, Union Carbide Corporation, as the company’s primary research center in 1949. Now operated by the West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission, the Tech Park adds significant capacity to the state’s academic, research and economic development missions. The diversified research, development and commercialization park focuses on chemicals, energy and related technologies for the advancement of education and economic development in the region, as well as West Virginia. Plans for the Tech Park are aimed at transforming investments in higher education and research into business and economic growth.

70 WEAKNESSES

1. Lack of Developable Business Sites. The topography and lack of utilities limit availability of developable land in our region. Our state’s mountains provide a beautiful backdrop for some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, but it is an obstacle. West Virginia’s geography, especially in our region, can be characterized commonly as a valley between 100 yards and a half mile with a road, a river and a railroad running along it. Most of this valley is in the flood plain. On either side of this valley are mountain ridges with steep slopes of more than 60 degrees – in other words, flat, easily developable land that isn’t subject to frequent flooding is in very short supply.

Much of the new construction occurs on hills to avoid flood hazards. Doing site preparation work for such sites is significantly higher in cost due to the need of moving a lot of earth. Building a four-lane highway requires frequent road cuts (cutting a path through the mountain, etc.). Whether building a school, factory or shopping center, it first requires moving earth to create a footprint for the facility. This added cost places a large burden on communities that want to build and diversify their economies by developing sites and infrastructure. Many are left without access to outside investment and must look for either local sources of funding or for some form of government assistance such as bonds or tax incentives.

2. Low High School and College Graduation Rates. Although this was identified as a weakness for the region, it is really only a problem in Boone and Clay Counties. As the chart below shows, Kanawha and Putnam Counties both had fairly high high school and college graduation rates, however, Boone and Clay had much lower results.

Place High School College graduation Graduation Rate rate

Boone Co. 72.2% 8.0 Clay Co. 69.8% 7.6 Kanawha Co. 86.5% 24.1% Putnam Co. 89.3% 23.7% WV 82.6% 17.6% USA 85.4% 28.2% Source: US Census Bureau

According to a report released in 2012 by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System, the state falls below the National and regional average in the number of students completing college degrees. The report says 60 percent of West Virginia students who start college won’t finish and that increasing the graduation rate is key to addressing a skills gap in the labor force that hampers the state’s economic development. Workforce Officials say that 49 percent of jobs in the state will require education beyond high school by 2018 and at least 20,000 more workers with certificates or degrees will be needed.

An on-going problem in our state is many of our college graduates leave West Virginia to work in other states because they can make higher wages. Nearby states like Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio can average a 30 percent higher salary in fields like library sciences, science technologies and health professions. In some cases, the degrees that are being offered do not match up well with jobs in the state. Those graduates are more likely to pursue employment elsewhere.

3. Layoff of Workers. The weak national economy, as well as changes in specific industries, have resulted in layoffs, notably in manufacturing. It is important that the economy be able to absorb these workers, both through expansion in other sectors and re- training.

4. Few Start Up Businesses in Technology. Due to the lack of reliable broadband Internet connectivity, innovation and entrepreneurship, our region sees little start up businesses and a shortage of start-up capital in the high-tech sector. High-tech jobs are a growing part of the global economy. To compete globally, the region and state needs to foster this growth and development of this sector.

5. Lack of infrastructure. Infrastructure continues to be problematic for our region and state. There are more structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges than on the national average. Our climate and harsh winters are key contributors to the decay, but also the lack of proper maintenance, repair and replacement contribute as well. The main obstacle is funding. Investment in infrastructure has steadily declined in West Virginia in terms of capital expenditures for new construction of roads and

72 bridges. Further investment into infrastructure could provide jobs to West Virginians looking for jobs. Having a healthy and functioning infrastructure helps to drive the economy and improves the quality of life. A working infrastructure is key to economic success.

In today’s world, access to high-speed Internet or broadband is crucial. More and more commerce is taking place on-line, and access to broadband can level the playing field between rural and non-rural communities when it comes to economic development. Unfortunately, some of our region and West Virginia lags behind the nation when it comes to accessibility to this important utility. Rural communities need access to affordable and accessible universal high-speed Internet just as they do to other infrastructure such as roads, bridges and telephone service. Increased broadband could create hundreds of jobs for our region.

OPPORTUNITIES

1. Bank Loans for Business. Finding the right loan for a business can be difficult. Banks have many requirements, rules and paperwork that can be overwhelming and frustrating. Securing funding for start-up firms based in research and innovation can be challenging because banks normally do not lend money for intangible assets. Proving an incentive for investors to back these fledgling companies is a proven way to solve the problem. It would help our region compete in the new economy. A key solution would be Senate Bill 419, which has been introduced by three WV Senators. The bill would reinstate a tax credit previously on the books in West Virginia for qualified investors, often referred to as “angel investors”.

Out of Country or State Investors. The region’s beauty, friendly communities and low cost of living makes the area and state an appealing place to reside and work. Its strategic location and a readily available skilled workforce are vital incentives for investors to locate here.

The region has seen some recent success in attracting foreign companies such as Toyota, Kureha, Gestamp and NGK sparkplugs. The WV Development Office, political leaders and development organizations have been and continue to be aggressive in pursuing these investments.

2. Re-employment of Idle Workforce. With the expansion of Toyota Manufacturing and Kureha, many laid off workers are finding employment. With each start-up business, many employees who may have lost their jobs may see opportunity on the horizon. It is important that businesses, development officials and workforce investment boards work together with community and technical colleges to assure that laid-off workers are trained for the new positions.

3. Shale Gas Industry. The development of Marcellus Shale has the potential for significant economic development for our region and state. With the development of new methods for the exploration and development of unconventional reservoirs such as those found in the Marcellus Shale formation, West Virginia has seen significant increases in exploration permits since 2005.

In many cases, the natural gas deposits also contain other useful by-products, including ethane. Ethane molecules can be “cracked” to create ethylene and ultimately many other chemicals. It is hoped that one or more “cracker” plants will be built in the state and that the chemical industry, particularly in the Kanawha Valley, will be revitalized.

4. Health Care. According to the U.S. Census Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare related jobs are expected to grow faster than the national average for all other industries through 2014 and beyond. The nursing field is the second fastest-growing occupation for job growth over the next decade. Nursing salaries have risen substantially over the last several years, and increases are expected as competition for workers becomes more prevalent. Sign on bonuses are now commonplace for those entering the field. Home health care aid positions are expected to rise as well and jobs on the administrative end of the healthcare industry are also on the rise as insurance companies brace for the rise of health claims that are expected to hit the industry.

The Kanawha Valley is a regional health care center and is positioned to take advantage of employment gains in this sector.

CHALLENGES

1. Local Businesses Shutting Down. Business owners make difficult decisions all the time. Some businesses in our region

74 have closed their doors because of economic conditions; low national economic growth has affected many businesses operations. The inability to generate the sufficient business profits is also a common reason for various companies in our area to close their doors. The owners spend money on inventory, production overhead and general business expenses when operating a company. Companies need economic resources to produce consumer goods and services. It is important that businesses take advantage of resources, such as the WV Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC), which may be able to provide the assistance they need to stay in business.

2. Workforce Readiness. Business leaders continue to report struggles with hiring prepared and skilled employees. At a time when the baby boom generation is approaching retirement, businesses require an exceptional pipeline of new workers to continue the American traditions of innovation and productivity. Reports from different potential employers and local development authorities identify the inability to pass a drug test as a major issue.

Challenging transportation logistics are a hurdle for many residents in the region. Inadequate public transit and car affordability are significant barriers to attaining and maintaining workforce employment. The needs of employers are rapidly changing and training providers must be more responsive or the state economy will suffer.

3. Lack of Capital. A small business that lacks sufficient working capital may find difficulty in attracting investors and lenders. Working capital shows investors and creditors that a company possesses the ability to pay back its loan or can earn sufficient profit that will allow investors to earn a return on their investments. The inability to attract investors and lenders affect company’s ability to purchase necessary resources.

Capital has been very difficult for some businesses to acquire in the state because banks usually do not lend to start-ups, therefore, businesses struggle to find partners to provide that capital.

GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

GOAL 1:

To achieve a diversified, balanced economy for the Region.

Objective:

Maintain a strong industrial base with construction of new industrial parks and expansion of existing industrial parks.

Strategy:

1. Work with economic development agencies, non-profit organizations, workforce investment boards, vocational schools and community colleges to develop and advertise training programs for area residents. 2. Cooperate with local agencies in developing industrial sites. 3. Support manpower training programs for a skilled labor force. 4. Disseminate information on market conditions and federal assistance programs to local governments and business associations. 5. Assist in identifying potential industrial sites in the Region. 6. Promote continued development and expansion of the WV Regional Technical Park. 7. Develop water, sewer, transportation and broadband infrastructure in preferred development areas and in unserved and underserved areas.

Objective:

Support the region’s energy and chemical industries.

Strategy:

1. Promote clean coal technology. 2. Support construction of an ethane “cracker” in the Region. 3. Provide end use economic opportunities for mountain top removal lands. 4. Promote the use of natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel.

Objective:

Promote entrepreneurship, innovation and small business growth in the Region.

77 Strategy:

1. Assist small business incubators and local non-profit economic development programs to expand local businesses. 2. Support strategies and infrastructure designed to encourage high- tech start-ups in the region. 3. Promote programs to increase the amount and availability of venture capital in the region. 4. Encourage start-ups and existing business to utilize the services of the WV Small Business Development Center.

Objective:

Support the expansion of tourism and convention business.

Strategy:

1. Work with state and local trail and tourism groups to promote attractions of Region III. 2. Support travel-related projects being planned for the Region. 3. Promote fairs, festivals and other events within the Region.

Objective:

Support downtown revitalization plans and community services necessary for economic growth.

Strategy:

1. Provide technical assistance to municipalities wishing to upgrade their structures and services. 2. Support the development of services and facilities necessary for long-term growth. 3. Assist communities in applying for USDOT Transportation grants for downtown streetscape projects. 4. Promote existing programs such as the WV On-Trac/ Main Street Program.

GOAL 2:

Promote International Trade Development.

78 Objective:

Increase awareness of trade resources and information available at the local, state and federal level to help WV companies take advantage of the overseas demand for U.S. products and services.

Strategy:

1. Provide startup support and consultative services in the areas of businesses and marketing plans, management, international finance, global market entry and growth strategies, research and analysis, product design and development plans. 2. Support technical assistance projects that provide knowledge of customers, products and competitors to better capture and maintain global market share. 3. Fund incubators to commercialize regional development, patents and inventions into innovative products.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND OUTCOMES

80 Performance Measures and Outcomes

The completion of the CEDS is an important achievement for Region III because it allows our staff to evaluate the success of projects and provides the Council with a way to determine priorities and goals for the future. The Regional Intergovernmental Council evaluates the success of the CEDS with the following measurements:

1. Number of Applications Completed: this measurement shows the continued need of Region III’s services and the projects and priorities that our local communities are wanting to complete. 2. Number of Projects Administered by Staff – this measurement shows the need for Region III’s services in providing project administration in completing the region’s priorities. 3. Number of New Customers Served with Infrastructure (water, sewer, broadband). This measurement reflects the number of new customers receiving water and sewer. These types of services continue to rank close to the top priorities our region identifies annually. 4. Amount of New Jobs Created as a Result of the CEDS –this measurement illustrates the number of new jobs created with the assistance of the Regional Intergovernmental Council. 5. Amount of Private Sector Investment – this measurement shows the amount of private sector dollars invested in this region as a result of the CEDS.

Regional Economic Analysis

Statistical information of the Region’s economy helps identify strengths and helps focus efforts on building on these strengths. Educational attainment, young- adult population growth, high-tech employment and other statistics are all used to calculate the Innovation Index. The resulting measurement details a region’s ability to adapt in the changing economy.

The Innovation Project was sponsored by U.S. EDA to develop simple tools that provide a characterization of a local economy, and can also help set the course for long-term growth in a region. The goal of these tools is to help planners assess their region’s comparative strengths and weaknesses while fostering innovation-based growth.

The EDA defines industry clusters or economic clusters as geographic concentrations of competing, complementary, or interdependent firms and industries that do business with each other and/or have common needs for talent, technology and infrastructure. Firms in an economic cluster may be competitive and cooperative.

By defining and using economic clusters, firms will be able to easily see the benefits of geographic location. Firms would be able to analyze the cost of relocation when considering a new business venture. Developers, Engineers and Planners would be more prone to using economic clusters in large business decisions. However, small business owners would also benefit from using economic clusters.

The Regional Intergovernmental Council has utilized these tools; Innovation Index, and Industry and Occupational Clusters to develop this Regional Economic Analysis.

Regional Innovation Index

The ability of a regional economy to innovate drives healthy growth; the innovation index takes an expansive look at indicators related to innovation from input and output perspectives.

The innovation index is comprised of five measures within a region and compares those at the national or state level.

Economic Well‐Being, 10%

Human Capital, 30% Productivity and Employment, 30%

Economic Dynamics, 30%

*State Context is the fifth measure, but used as a reference only.

Based upon statistical analysis, several factors seem to be especially important for increasing economic growth: educational attainment; young-adult population growth; high-tech employment growth; and the number of small establishments.

The following graph illustrates the innovation index for West Virginia and the Region 3 Planning and Development Council area compared to the index base of 100.

84 Region 3 PDC 77.8

West Virginia 76.2

United States 100

0 20406080100120

It is important to note, economies do not recognize political boundaries and each region will have a different mix of qualities that affect the overall innovation score.

The following graph and table will illustrate the individual county scores and the value of each component of the innovation index. While the Region 3 innovation index is 77.8, the individual county index ranges from 66.4 to 79.5.

Putnam 79.4

Kanawha 79.5

Clay 66.4

Boone 67.6

Region 3 PDC 77.8

West Virginia 76.2

55 60 65 70 75 80 85

85 Productivity Human Economic Economic and Capital Dynamics Well‐Being Employment Boone 51.3 67 75.6 94.7 Clay 49.8 67.2 71.2 99.5 Kanawha 82.3 79 69.5 103 Putnam 77.1 71.8 80.2 106.8

120

100

80 Boone 60 Clay

40 Kanawha Putnam 20

0 Human Capital Economic Productivity Economic Well‐ Dynamics and Being Employment

Industry Cluster Analysis

This tool identifies the strong clusters within a specific regional economy with comparisons to the national economy. Through strategic resource targeting these strong clusters, or new emerging clusters, may be strengthened or maintained.

A location quotient is used to determine the relative employment within a region; a score above 1.0 indicates a higher concentration of employment in an industry than the national average. Conversely a score below 1.0 indicates a lack of employment in an industry and can indicate travel outside of the region for good produced from a particular industry.

86 The following tables identify the industries within Region 3 and each county with a high location quotient score.

West Industry Virginia Region 3 Energy (Fossil & Renewable) 2.08 2.18 Chemicals & Chemical Based Products 1.46 1.36 Biomedical/Biotechnical (Life Sciences) 1.25 1.08 Transportation & Logistics 0.8 1.03 Mining 1.29 0.95

Boone 10 Clay 8 Kanawha Putnam 6

Occupational Cluster Analysis

This tool breaks down a regions workforce into 15 categories to understand what specific occupations drive the local economy, and discover the potential to support innovative companies.

Occupation cluster analysis is a very new approach that focuses on the knowledge, skills and abilities of the individuals within a region. A location quotient is also utilized to identify high employment within certain occupations.

Occupation West Virginia Region Agribusiness and Food Technology 1.82 0.61 Arts, Entertainment, Publishing and Broadcasting 0.61 0.62 Building, Landscape and Construction Design 0.92 1.4 Engineering and Related Sciences 0.7 0.89 Health Care and Medical Science (Aggregate) 1.26 1.3 Health Care and Medical Science (Medical Practitioners and Scientists) 1.07 1.14 Health Care and Medical Science (Medical Technicians) 1.3 1.48 Health Care and Medical Science (Therapy, Counseling and Rehabilitation ) 1.32 1.29 Information Technology (IT) 0.45 0.56 Legal and Financial Services, and Real Estate (L & FIRE) 0.75 1 Managerial, Sales, Marketing and HR 0.74 0.85 Mathematics, Statistics, Data and Accounting 0.65 0.91 Natural Sciences and Environmental Management 1.21 1.44 Personal Services Occupations 0.85 0.79 Postsecondary Education and Knowledge Creation 0.9 0.58 Primary/Secondary and Vocational Education, Remediation & Social Services 1.04 0.82 Public Safety and Domestic Security 0.89 0.81 Skilled Production Workers: Technicians, Operators, Trades, Installers & Repairers 1.25 1.32 Technology‐Based Knowledge Clusters 0.72 0.82

3.5 Boone 3 Clay 2.5 Kanawha 2 Putnam 1.5 1 0.5 0

88 Summary Points:

 Region 3 has an Innovation Index higher than the State of West Virginia

o Kanawha County has the highest of all four counties.

 All four counties have an average or above average state of economic well-being.

 Boone and Clay County have an above average location quotient for the Energy Industry Cluster.

 Putnam County has an above average location quotient for the Transportation and Equipment Manufacturing Industry Cluster.

 The entire region has an above average location quotient for the Skilled Production Worker Occupational Cluster.

Regional and County Priority Lists

90 Description of Program and Project Selection and Prioritization Process.

The project package, a central listing of projects, is a culmination of outreach efforts throughout the year. RIC has determined all projects to be classified as short-term, but in many cases, with long-term economic impact.

The process to assure the package includes all projects is as follows:

 The Clearinghouse system wherein all proposed projects requesting federal funding are distributed to all members.  Correspondence to all members specifically requesting input of all projects/activities to be included in the project package.  Follow-ups with all members via telephone and/or site visits.  Quarterly business meetings discussion includes project activities.

91 Program and Project Priorities

REGION III 2014 PROJECT PACKAGE

All projects are classified as short-term Counties: (B) = Boone; (C) = Clay; (K) = Kanawha; (P) = Putnam RANK – Economic Projects Ranked by CEDS Committee ID No.- Project Identification Number

RANK Economic Development Initiatives: Funding Cost 1 West Virginia Regional Technology Park. (K) (WVHEPC). Promote continued development and U. S. EDA – To be utilization of the WVRTP as a research Public/Private determined. and business park. Investment

2 Kanawha County Industrial Park (K) To be (Land Task Force). Determine a location determined. and develop industrial park. 3 Shell bldg. at Putnam Co Park – (P) (PCDA) To develop a spec building for rental/sale. TOTAL $2,000,000 4 City of St Albans (K) to develop a tourist destination of dinner theater and shopping. Unknown $2,000,000 5 Charleston Riverfront Development (K) Federal $35,000,000 City of Charleston - To develop the Appropriations $5,000,000 riverfront into business and retail Local $40,000,000 locations. Canopy at Haddad Park funded TOTAL ($2,000,000).

6 Scott Development Property (B) To develop approximately 11 acres into a Mixed use industrial / Commercial park. Near Danville and the State DOH Garage. Unknown $475,000 7 Clay County Industrial Park (C) (CAEZ) to purchase land, improvements and shell building. TOTAL $5,000,000 8 Putnam County Development Authority (P) Inland River Port Facility at Eleanor. TOTAL $4,000,000

92 9 Upper Kanawha Valley Enterprise Community(K) (UKVEC) Medical/Mixed Use Business Incubator Annex near current location. TOTAL $1,000,000 10 Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (C) Highway from Clay to Summersville – To provide a 2 lane highway on a reclaimed surface mine with economic WVDOT $50,000,000 opportunity for business and a possible FOLA COAL $170,000,000 new high school TOTAL $220,000,000 11 Boone County EDA (B) USDA-RD $200,000 Black’s Site – In Danville behind the BCC $ 50,000 Kroger- approx 6 acres. TOTAL $250,000 12 Slack Plaza Renovations - Charleston (K) To redevelop the Slack Plaza and expand Undetermined it for outdoor use from Capitol to Court Currently in the Street in a green use park with amenities planning stages $ 8,000,000 that will be a community destination park and add to the livability of Downtown Charleston. This will also require a TOTAL $ 8,000,000 redesign of the KRT Transit Mall. PPR Economic Dev. Planning Initiatives: Funding Cost 1 WV Coalition for Technology Based Economic Development (Statewide) To provide technical assistance and tracking $ 250,000 of small innovative businesses that would $ 250,000 locate in the High Tech – Energy Corridor $ 500,000 2 Brownfields Redevelopment Assessment EPA $160,000 Grant (K)(P) CAA To identify potential PCDA $40,000 redevelopment sites in the Kanawha and TOTAL $200,000 Putnam County area. In Nitro Specifically 3 CAEZ ( C ) Planning Grant to plan and design first 4 miles of planned development on Post Mine Land in Clay County to consist of new Clay County High School with sports OTHER $125,000 complex, housing development, light HUD-EDI $190,000 industry, infrastructure and roads. Total $315,000 4 Kanawha County Commission (K) US DOD $250,000 Coonskin Park Bridge EC Development Other $250,000 planning grant. To develop a feasibility TOTAL $500,000 study for economic development around the proposed new entrance to Coonskin.

RIC Progress Report

94 Local Technical Assistance

The Council’s staff was involved in various stages of projects, including;

 Provided grant administration to eight or more local governments having HUD, EPA, USDA, and ARC grants, as well as State agency grants. This is an important service offered by RIC to keep local governments in compliance with federal regulations and audits.

 Disseminated information on State and Federal development programs to all local governments in RIC region. Worked with local officials in developing projects.

 Served on various committees and boards, including the Putnam County Transportation Committee, the Kanawha Valley Local Port Authority, and Community Reinvestment Act committee.

 Assisted communities and others by providing census and other data, providing assistance with mapping and GIS and other technical services. Provided information regarding various government programs and advised communities in dealing with various technical and administrative issues.

 Assisted the City of Madison in completing a City Comprehensive Plan, utilizing the services of the WVU Extension Service.

 Advised St. Albans in starting work on its comprehensive plan update.

 Provided census and other data to communities and others.

 Conducted training session.

 Provided data and other information for Dunbar Comprehensive Plan.

Community and Economic Development

 RIC is assisting in the development of many projects for the Boone County PSD and the Boone County Commission. Projects are the Mud River/Cox’s Fork Waterline Extension, the Morrisvale-Cameo Waterline Extension, the Route 5/Prenter Road Phase II Waterline Extension and various smaller extensions. The Long Branch Waterline Extension, the Route 5/Prenter Road Phase I Waterline Extension, the Turtle Creek Waterline Extension and the Lick Creek Phase II Waterline Extension have been completed.

95  RIC is assisting in the development of two wastewater projects for Boone County: the rehabilitation of the Madison system, and the future development of a complete overhaul to the Boone County Wastewater Treatment Facility.

 RIC is also assisting the Town of Belle Sanitary Board in developing a project to upgrade their sanitary sewer treatment facilities and the Town of Handley in rehabilitating their sanitary sewer lift stations and additional line work to better serve the residents.

 RIC staff is assisting the Clay County Commission and its PSD to develop projects within the county. The Clay County PSD is developing a project to serve an additional 300 customers in various areas of their district. The Clay-Roane PSD is developing an extension along Elkhurst Road that will serve approximately 80 customers. RIC is also assisting Clay County in developing water projects in the Ovapa and Big Otter/Nebo areas. These projects will service about 100 customers each.

 RIC is assisting the development of the Manila Ridge Waterline Extension for Putnam County, and the rehabilitation of sanitary sewers in the Town of Poca.

 RIC is developing a Regional Broadband Plan for the Region and is working with the Town of Glasgow to secure funding for storm water improvements.

 The RIC Staff assisted in the prioritization and selection of Small Broadband Utilization Grants for the WV GIS State Coordinator in innovative ways to educate the public on broadband access and connectivity.

 RIC is assisting TechConnectWV in the administration of a U. S. EDA planning grant to assist in the advancement of an innovation economy in West Virginia, focused on four technology sectors: advanced energy, chemicals and advanced materials, biosciences, and biometrics.

 RIC has begun data collection and outreach for its 5 year CEDS.

 Completed and submitted 5-year CEDS update.

 Provided information on Region III to consultants, market analysts and private businesses to promote economic development.

 Provided administration of an EDA grant for TechConnect WV.

 Attended EDA regional conference in Philadelphia and moderated session on regional clusters.

 RIC has assisted the State with broadband development efforts, including reviewing applications for technical assistance grants.

Transportation

Long-Range Planning

During the past year, the Regional Intergovernmental Council, along with its partner, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. has performed extensive work on the update to its Long Range Transportation Plan for Kanawha and Putnam Counties. The work consisted of performing an analysis of existing transportation conditions within the region, analyzing socioeconomic forecast data and highway data through RIC’s travel model, identifying existing and potential future highway system deficiencies and identifying proposed transportation improvement projects over the next decade that would serve to alleviate those deficiencies. Extensive public outreach was performed during the course of this work in order to receive input from the general public, key stakeholders and local officials.

CMAQ Project Analysis

RIC prepared a CMAZ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program) funding application for the Piedmont Road sidewalk project from Court Street to Chilton Street in Charleston. RIC also prepared an application for CMAQ funding to construct high visibility crosswalks and pedestrian signals with countdown timers and push buttons to cross Kanawha Boulevard at Chesapeake Avenue, California Avenue and Greenbrier Street.

Clean Air Act

RIC has continued to follow developments related to requirements of the Clean Air Act. RIC is designated as a maintenance area for the 8-hour ozone and a non-attainment area for particulate matter (PM 2.5). RIC has a long-range transportation plan and TIP, which are both in conformity with the State Implementation Plan, under the Clean Air Act. In development of the long-range plan and amendments and TIP, RIC has followed consultation procedures in conjunction with WVDEP’s Conformity

97 SIP submittal.

Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)

RIC has updated the TIP quarterly, consistent with WVDOT’s quarterly statewide TIP schedule. All amendments to the FY 2012-2015 TIP received approval from RIC, WVDOT and FHWA.

Transportation Enhancements

ISTEA established a program (continued under TEA-21 and SAFETEA-LU) for “transportation enhancements” which encompasses such activities as bicycle and pedestrian activities, historic preservation, archaeological research and more. Projects are selected from applications submitted by local governments to Regional Councils or MPO’s and WVDOT. RIC reviews the applications for technical correctness and advises the applicants accordingly. RIC also submits the applications for Intergovernmental Review. Upon request, RIC prepares grant applications for its members.

Census Management Planning

RIC continues to maintain its census library of printed and digital data materials and responds to census requests from officials, agencies and the public and is part of its Affiliate Data Center program.

Transit Planning

RIC is working with the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KVRTA) to complete a five-year strategic plan for the transit agency. As part of the plan development, current KVRTA service and ridership levels will be examined, which will aid in developing forecasts for future transit needs in Kanawha County. The forecast assists in determining possible future reductions or expansions in service. The plan will also analyze and identify future transit service funding sources. KVRTA also completed a ridership survey in April 2012 in order to collect rider information such as origin and destination, trip frequency, trip purpose, age and income. Data from the survey will be utilized in the plan development.

Transportation Database/Geographic Information System (GIS)

RIC continued to expand the capabilities of its Geographic Information System (GIS) in 2012 with the acquisition and creation of additional GIS data and GIS software upgrades. RIC continues to employ GIS in most of

98 its transportation planning activities, and to provide mapping for other GIS activities as well as for RIC members and other agency requests. RIC has adapted Census 2010 data for use in our geographic database and has also distributed this data as requested. The RIC staff obtained field data with our GPS data collector and produced several aerial maps for the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan. The Regional Council also produced several maps for the following agencies and organizations: Kanawha County Planning Commission, Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority, Kanawha County Libraries, KVRTA, and various local schools.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Study

From the list of recommended bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects in the current RIC Long-Range Transportation Plan, RIC staff have prepared CMAQ applications for submission to WVDOH for sidewalk and pedestrian crossing improvements on Piedmont Road and Kanawha Blvd., in Charleston.

RIC Completes St. Albans Railroad Crossing Study

The RIC Transportation planning staff completed an-depth analysis of all railroad crossings within the City of St. Albans in order to identify existing deficiencies and propose recommendations for improvements. The study area boundary was US 60/MacCorkle Avenue to the north; Kanawha Terrace to the south; the US 60 and Kanawha Terrace intersection to the east; and Riverside Drive to the west. The report recommended several low-cost improvements at rail crossing sites throughout the city and identified three alternatives for major improvements: 1) the B Street crossing; 2) the Walnut Street crossing; and 3) the 3rd Street underpass. The study was approved by the City of St. Albans.

APPENDIX

100 101 2014 Regional Intergovernmental Council Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee Meeting

315 D Street, South Charleston, WV 26303 July 16, 2013 1:30 p.m.

MINUTES

Attendees Name Representing Mike Mathews Charleston Business Trades, AFL‐CIO Terry Martin Regional Council Staff Mark Felton Regional Council Staff Anne Barth TechConnectWV Jerry Elkins M S Consultants, Inc.

Meeting Minutes

The Committee meeting was opened by Terry Martin, who introduced all the members and reviewed the procedure for prioritizing the projects. The Committee then discussed each project.. The committee withdrew completed projects and prioritized the remainder. Since there was such a small turnout the committee agreed to send their final list to all members absent for their input. Jerry Elkins of MS Consultants made the recommendation to accept the rankings if others had no changes. A deadline was set for July 29th for responses. The committee agreed and the meeting was adjourned at 1:55 p.m.

*** Note. Only Connie Lupardis of the CEAZ, WV responded with a no change email to the committee. The rankings as prioritized now stand.

102 CEDS Outreach Meetings

April 11, 2012 – Putnam County Development Authority. Attending: Gary Walton, PCDA, Mark Felton (RIC) and SoJuana Ellis (RIC)

April 18, 2012 – Boone County Development Authority. Attending: Larry Lodato (BCDA), Mark Felton (RIC) and SoJuana Ellis (RIC)

April 18, 2012 – Charleston Area Alliance. Attending: Susie Salisbury (CAA), Mike Aeiker (CAA), Cullen (CAA), Mark Felton (RIC), SoJuana Ellis (RIC).

June 26, 2012 – WV Regional Technology Park. Attending: Mark Felton (RIC), SoJuana Ellis (RIC), Phil Halstead (Tech Park), Anne Barth (WV Techconnect).

CEDS Field Reviews

March 30, 2012. Mark. Kanawha County. Corridor G, Kanawha City.

April 4, 2012. Mark. Kanawha County, Northgate, MUGC, Technology Park.

April 13. Mark. SoJuana. Putnam County. Nitro, Rock Branch, Buffalo, Putnam Business Park, Hurricane Business Park, Hurricane, Teays Valley.

103 CEDS Outreach Meeting April 11, 2012 Putnam County Development Authority

Attending: Mark Felton, SoJuana Ellis, Gary Walton

Gary discussed economic issues and economic development activities in Putnam County. Issues discussed included:

 PCDA just completed its recertification, including update of its 5-year plan. Gary provided a copy of the plan to RIC, as well as their 50th anniversary edition annual report.

 As the economy is beginning to pick up nationally and locally, PCDA’s office is receiving more calls about available property.

 PCDA maintains an inventory of available commercial and industrial sites on its website. Unlike the WV Development Office, which has a 10,000 square foot minimum to list a site, PCDA has no minimum size. Among the sites available are 2 lots near Walmart at Hurricane Plaza, as well as lots at the Putnam Business Park.

 The inventory of available property and warehouse space is relatively low, compared to what it was in the past.

 PCDA is currently looking to expand utilities within the Putnam Business Park to the Phase II portion.

 PCDA has an agreement with Solutia to provide fill from the Putnam Business Park site for remediation efforts to Solutia’s brownfield site at the HUB industrial Park in Nitro (former Monsanto site), in exchange for grading that will create additional developable sites at the Business Park. This will happen in about a year, after Solutia has completed other preliminary work at the Nitro location. The Nitro Solutia site will be available for redevelopment in about 3 years.

 A portion of the Putnam Business Park is a wetland and will remain as such. Improvements to the wetland can be used to mitigate wetland loss caused by other development. The front part (WV 817 side) of the Putnam Business Park is flat and difficult to drain. The back portion is rough terrain. Fiber optic cable has been installed at the business park and electrical power is adequate.

 The site formerly owned by Great Lakes at Hub Industrial park has been sold to Chemtura. All the building have been demolished. The Total

104 Distribution site is expanding.

 Challenges to development include the tax code. An example of this is that tax abatement if the property is publicly owned. Thus, development authorities end up buying properties in order to develop them. Another challenge is the difficulty in getting need utilities to otherwise developable property. Finding qualified workers is often difficult and available training programs available are not always responsive to needs.

CEDS Outreach Meeting April 18, 2012 Boone County Development Authority

Attending: Mark Felton, SoJuana Ellis, Larry Lodato

Larry discussed economic activities in the county, trends and issues, as well as the efforts of the BCDA and county government. Items discussed included:

 BCDA recently completed an expansion of its incubator in Madison (at offices of BCDA) and new space has been leased. BCDA collects about $3200 per month in rent from tenants, which goes into their “EDA” fund to support projects. County also receives a $31,000 LED grant from the state annually, with their remaining budget funded by the County.

 County has identified an available industrial site (11 acres) just off of Corridor G (US 119) at Rock Creek. Currently marketing the site, which is included on the WV Development Office website. Potentially may build a spec building. Site is privately owned, but available for sale to county. May pursue USDA or other funds for development. Currently have water, sewer, and power. Part is in floodplain and will need to be elevated.

 County operates a solid waste transfer station adjacent to the WVDOH garage off of Corridor G. County crews pick up solid waste from the site and takes it to the Charleston landfill.

 BCDA operates a micro-loan program, providing loans up to $5000 to small businesses.

 Recently completed a post-mine land use master plan for the county.

 Alpha Energy plans to build a mine training facility at site of corporate headquarters as part of UBB settlement.

 Recently received a Recreational Trails Program grant to expand the Madison/Danville Wellness Trail to Boone County Hospital and eventually

105 to Racine.

 Annual Coal Festival to be held June 29-23.

 Biggest barrier to economic development in the county is the shortage of flat, developable land.

 Black property behind the Kroger in Madison is a 6 acre site available for development, probably commercial.

 There is a new motel at Comfort built by Norfolk Southern mainly to provide rest for train crews, but with some rooms available for the public. It is called the Oak Tree Inn.

 An amphitheatre is planned for Waterways on land owned by the County. It is being designed by Triad Engineering and may qualify for LWCF funding.

CEDS Outreach Meeting April 18, 2012 Charleston Area Alliance

Attending: Mark Felton, SoJuana Ellis, Mike Aeiker, Susie Salisbury and Cullen Naumoff

Susie Salisbury explained the Imagine Charleston project, which includes the City of Charleston’s comprehensive plan as well a downtown plan. The City is working with a consultant team on both of these initiatives.

Projects and areas of concern discussed included:

 Civic Center improvements. A TIF district was established downtown to provide funding for these. Current cost estimates are $40 million, but will probably be scaled down to reflect likely available funds.

 Connection between the Civic Center and Town Center Mall to be improved.

 Plans for CURA lots. Consultant has been asked to look at potential uses for CURA owned lots.

 Riverfront Plan. To build on the existing Riverfront Plan. Projects may be on hold until US Army COE completes bank stabilization work.

106  Housing. Citywide lack of good, affordable housing.

 WVDOH plans to expand its District One headquarters to take up the entire block of Smith Street from Morris to Ruffner. This will include streetscaping, which will be completed by adjacent streetscaping by City.

 Private investments mentioned included: Chase renovation - $15 million; Charleston House HI (now Ramada) renovation - $30 million; new Marriott Courtyard; Charleston Marriott renovation - $8 to $10 million; Town Center Mall renovation - $10 million; Library; CAMC Cancer Center at Watt Powell site; New WVHDF building in Kanawha City; New Highland Hospital in Kanawha City; Bible Center to add onto school.

 Areas of concern that hope to be addressed include: west side redevelopment; redevelop old Staats Hospital; stabilize housing on west side, especially around new west side school (home ownership zone).

 Three possible industrial sites identified by CAA’s Land Task Force include; Occidental site in Belle; Fairlawn site in West Dunbar; and Haines Branch. All have issues.

 Cullen Naumoff discussed the CAA’s Vision 2030, which is a current effort to develop a long-term economic development strategy to capitalize on the strengths of the Kanawha Valley. The plan focuses on the following 7 economic drivers: chemical industry; downtown revitalization; education; energy industry; health; innovation/research and development; and leadership. More information at forwardtothefuture.org.

CEDS Outreach Meeting June 26, 2012 West Virginia Regional Technology Park And Techconnect WV

Attending: Mark Felton, SoJuana Ellis, Philip Halstead, Anne Barth

The group discussed the activities, goals and plans for the WV Regional Technology Park and Techconnect WV.

 Techconnect WV and the WVRTP are focused on high technology sectors of the economy with particular emphasis on the following four economic clusters: chemicals and advanced materials, advanced energy, biometrics and biotechnology.

 Current tenants at the tech park include: Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College, Matric, Chemical Alliance Zone, TechconnectWV,

107 Progenesis, Office of Miner’s Health and Safety Training, National Youth Science Camp, Angels Investor Network, Hewlett Packard, Alpha Technologies and Bridgemont Community and Technical College.

 Construction is just starting on the Advanced Technical Training Center, which will be operated by both community and technical colleges at the park. The facility will comprise 50,000 square feet and will train operators, mechanics and related trades.

 Some barriers to small business development in WV include a shortage of venture capital and angel investors. Steps that could be taken to better support small business include a new angel investment tax credit, additional technical support for startups, an executive in residence program, incubators and more university research.

 Development of a joint WVU/Marshall University National Energy Technology Lab (NETL) would be a big boost for the state.

 The existing pilot plant at the tech park is perhaps the park’s greatest selling point.

 In 2010, a redevelopment plan was completed for the park by consultants Battelle and CH2M Hill.

 Future plans include the training center, renovation of buildings 740 and 770, establishing a business incubator, and preparing a master plan for the vacant 160 acre section of the park. The park also will gradually transition from an organizational structure based on outsourcing and collaboration to a larger permanent staff.

108

109 Business Resources and Links

WV Region 3 P&D Council

Marshall University (304) 696-6246 Small Business Development Center 2000 7th Avenue Huntington, WV 25703-1527

USDA- Rural Development (304) 776-5326 418 Goff Mountain Road, Room 103 Cross Lanes, WV 25313

Clay County Economic Coalition (304) 587-4166 P. O. Box 332 Clay, WV 25043