The business of Jackson County

2023 has certainly brought some major investment announcements for Jackson County. Our Next Energy (ONE) is expected to use a 40,000-square-foot industrial building already located at the Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables site in Ravenswood. The company will build a lithium iron phosphate utility-scale battery system that can serve as long-duration energy storage in partnership with BHE Renewables. ONE expects the manufacturing facility to be operational in 2025, with hiring to start in 2024.

ONE announced it will build a new Aries Grid factory on the site. The factory will bring an additional $22 million in investment to the project and generate 105 more jobs. A $500 million investment and over 2,000 acres for BHE Solar in Jackson County is set to manufacture titanium products for aerospace and other industries. Berkshire Hathaway also donated $500,000 to the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley for various economic development projects in Jackson County and the surrounding area, including the Mission Mobile Project in partnership with Goodwill Industries.

Jackson County completed many infrastructure upgrades and is continuing to do so. These upgrades include electrical, water, sewer, airport terminal and runway expansions, and broadband. (We covered broadband in my last article). The Jackson County Airport located in Millwood completed its terminal and hosted a ribbon cutting for its $1 million project. The JCAA is currently awaiting approval for a $45 million grant for runway expansion which allows larger jets to land. The airport also began offering jet fuel on site.

The JCDA hosted a workforce development roundtable with folks from all different organizations and industries to discuss workforce issues and available technical assistance. We attended trade shows and conferences (15 to be exact) domestically and internationally, maintained our land database, and helped facilitate small businesses in over 2.2 million dollars in small business loans. We are currently working on the housing issues in the county.

The JCDA focused on marketing heavily in 2023, rebranding with a new logo, developing new marketing materials, developing a “Certified Jackson County Ambassador” program, undergoing website updates, and working with our many partnerships closely all year. Some examples of those partnerships include the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Advantage Valley, the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, the Polymer Alliance Zone, the Jackson County Commission and many more.

I was awarded five different scholarships from the West Virginia Economic Development Council and American Electric Power which all went towards my continued education. We handed out over $45,000 in Energy Efficiency Grants in partnership with the WV Office of Energy while we were also awarded several grants for marketing, a housing analysis, and our local economic development efforts.

I visited and met with over 40 businesses in the county as part of our Business Retention & Expansion program. I love learning how each company is different, meeting their staff and learning what that company/business offers.

Did you know Valley Inc. is a West Virginia-owned and operated business located in Millwood? Valley not only offers mulch and gravel but is also a barging and unloading facility. Valley owns more than 14 warehouses all used by the company or area businesses. Valley keeps more than 12 trucks on the road daily. Of their 120-plus acres, 90 are stone and 35 are a maritime center. Valley keeps over 100,000 tons of stone in stock and employs 20 folks, all local. Valley offers other services from metal exchange, material handling, warehousing, open-air storage, cranes, boats, and more.

Jackson County’s own Mustang Sampling offers a state-of-the-art mobile training lab that travels all over the United States offering specialized training. As an industry-leading pioneer, Mustang Sampling is often called upon for instruction on a wide variety of analyzers, software, and sample conditioning systems. The Mustang® Mobile Training Lab (MTL) offers customizable technical educational opportunities at its main facility or your field location. From installation, operation, and maintenance of products to field service and repair, Mustang Sampling can facilitate the needs of measurement engineers and technicians. The lab is stocked with commonly used natural gas, natural gas liquids, renewable natural gas, and liquefied natural gas sampling systems, analyzers, and equipment for a complete hands-on training experience.

The JCDA staff, matter experts, Gafcon, & BHE Renewables met to discuss the housing needs and opportunities of Jackson County, the comprehensive planning that is being done, and action items to be addressed. Meetings will continue with the Cities of Ravenswood and Ripley, and officials in Jackson County. The JCDA has been working to identify available housing sites in Jackson County. The recent announcement of the Jackson County BUILD WV designation will offer incentives to builders/developers. The BUILD WV Act provides sales tax exemptions, property value adjustment credits, and potential B&O Tax Exemption. A proposed BUILD WV project would apply and be approved by the state before the project’s completion to qualify for the incentives. Eligible BUILD WV projects would need to be in a certified district and generate approved costs of more than $3 million or at least six residential units or houses.