Media Minute— a weekly dispatch of local, national and world news impacting West Virginia’s manufacturing industry.

West Virginia

Northern Panhandle recipient of several 'big-ticket' projects from roads bond referendum
The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)
Joe Eddy, president of Eagle Manufacturing in Wellsburg, figures good roads are critical to attracting outside investments. “As a business owner, we ...

Rebecca McPhail: West Virginia needs the road bond (Daily Mail)
Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)
In West Virginia, location is a key selling point for manufacturing companies that want easy access to eastern markets and east coast shipping ...

West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Right to Work Legislation
Townhall
Right to work legislation is safe and sound in West Virginia despite a circuit court's attempt to upend it. In a vote of 3-1, the state Supreme Court of ...

West Virginia Workplace Freedom Act: Free From Injunction
The National Law Review
It also grants West Virginia employees the right to refuse to pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other similar ... For now, however, West Virginia is, again, on the path to join twenty-seven other states as a right-to-work jurisdiction.

Dave Peyton: Focus on taxes isn't the answer for luring business
Huntington Herald Dispatch
West Virginia doesn't have onerous taxes for residents or businesses. ... didn't shy away from the state because it didn't have a "right to work" law.

Rusty Kruzelock: History coming full circle at Tech Park (Daily Mail)
Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)
It has been nearly 100 years since West Virginia invented the world's first ethane cracker. In the 1920s, George Curme, a researcher at the Mellon ...

Capito op-ed outlines need for tax reform
The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)
Va., outlines the need for comprehensive tax reform and explains how it can enhance growth and create more job opportunities for West Virginians.

Interim meeting hints at coming tax reform debate
The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)
CHARLESTON — West Virginia lawmakers are gearing up for another try at ... Several tax reform ideas were discussed Monday at a meeting of the ...

Repealing personal property taxes for businesses may be next tax reform move
West Virginia MetroNews
West Virginia Association of Counties Executive Director Jonathan Adler said the ... One of the options could be increasing the rate on property taxes.

Enhancing growth in West Virginia
The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)
In addition to making businesses more competitive, comprehensive tax reform can provide tax relief for families and lead to more jobs in West Virginia, ...

Public forum slated on road bond and tax reform
The Fayette Tribune
The two issues to be addressed at this forum are the upcoming road bond and the reform measures proposed for the West Virginia tax system and ...

Commerce secretary says more money needed for business incentives
Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)
West Virginia needs to think big when it comes to economic development, state ... “If you think all you have to do is pass right to work, workers' comp reform, tort reform and ... West Virginia is one of ten states with an inventory tax.

Design Challenge looking for inventors
Parkersburg News
... Bernzomatic, Edward Tucker Architects, Marshall University Research Corp., Sterling Supply Co. and the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.

“Making Your Future” strives to connect “makers” to area manufacturers
Observer-Reporter
A new venture between Pittsburgh-area manufacturers of metals and ... to help job seekers find opportunities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

Major reform of nation's tax system badly needed
Huntington Herald Dispatch
President Donald J. Trump is working to reform our tax system so that ... Conrad Lucas, of Huntington, is chairman of the West Virginia Republican ...

West Virginia prepares for manufacturing jobs spurred by shale gas
Pennsylvania Business Central
On August 3, President Trump, who won big in West Virginia — 67.9 percent of the vote vs. Hillary Clinton's 26.2 percent — held a campaign-style rally ...

Belmont County Ethane Cracker Decision Due By End of The Year
Wheeling Intelligencer
... as hundreds of permanent petrochemical jobs once the plant enters operation. ... Moreover, a recent West Virginia University study found the creation of a ... On Thursday, West Virginia Department of Commerce General Counsel ...

West Virginia State Working to Add New Engineering Degrees
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
“This makes West Virginia the location of one of the largest number of chemical manufacturing companiesin the world,” the proposal explained.

New initiative seeks to boost economy in Appalachia
Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)
The senators involved are Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark ... mining and traditional manufacturing, they said in a preface to the report. ... Access to skilled workers is one barrier to more jobcreation in Appalachia, ...

Manchin: 'Very pleasant' Trump dinner centered on infrastructure, tax reform
West Virginia MetroNews
Va., said Tuesday's dinner with President Donald Trump and six other ... a productive discussion on addressing infrastructure and tax reform issues. ... like West Virginia face challenges in providing internet and telephone access, ...

W.Va. businesses ready to store, use ethane
The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)
WELLSBURG — One West Virginia manufacturer is looking forward to ... Shell Chemical is building a cracker in Pennsylvania that will use ethane in ...

Company's goal: bring 100000 jobs to MOV within 8 years
Morgan County Herald
The first was in the late 1800s with the discovery of shallow, abundant oil and natural gas fields in Ohio and West Virginia. Much of the early industries ...