Amount Spent in State Percentage of State GDP
2020 $ 1B
# 44 2020 1.4 % # 38
2019 |
$ 1.6B |
# 42 |
2019 |
2.1 % |
# 27 |
2018 $ 0.8B
# 44 2018 1 % # 44
Billions
$ 0 $ 0.5 $ 1.0 $ 1.5 $ 2.0
State Ranking
0 % 0.5 % 1.0 % 1.5 % 2.0 %
Source : Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation — Defense Spending by State .
Col . McCaffrey and President of NDIA at the Women in Defense Scholars event . Photo by NDIA .
business to become a defense contractor . This can include advanced accounting standards and security requirements , among other things . While each of these is challenging on its own , sometimes when combined they are too much for a small business to address alone . Another barrier may be due to the fact that each federal agency has its own unique requirements for contractors ; so , a company that wants to participate in a defense contract may have to know and meet the compliance requirements for the DOD as well as the U . S . State Department and / or the U . S . Department of Commerce .
“ Being a contributing member to the DOD supply chain is a point of pride for my company and me ; although I will say , it is not easy ,” says Hartzell . “ Being a supply chain member means you must comply with many standards , provisions and requirements set forth to ensure the quality of the product and the security of the intellectual property and technical specifications going into that work . For many small and medium companies , I am sure it ’ s overwhelming .”
Part of the work of the WVNDIA will be helping Mountain State businesses understand and overcome these obstacles , especially since there has been a national decline in the number of small businesses in the DOD supply chain .
“ We will do everything we can as a chapter to help small enterprises enter and stay in the sector ,” Satterfield says .
Hartzell has had great success as a life and corporate member of the NDIA and is passionate about its value .
“ The NDIA serves as a link , advocate and voice for the small business trying to comply with these requirements . They are always open to questions and provide good advice to companies trying to navigate this challenging circumstance ,” he says .
With Hartzell at the helm , the WVNDIA is primed to offer the same support to the Mountain State business community .
“ Trying to assist small companies in addressing these barriers and becoming part of the defense industry in West Virginia is one of our most important missions as a chapter ,” he says . “ My company was very fortunate to participate in the mentor protégé program in our early days , and I look forward to serving as a mentor to other small companies . Make no mistake — we all benefit when more companies can participate in West Virginia ’ s defense sector .”
2017 Ranking of Total Defense Spending by State 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-51
Source : USASpending . gov , Fiscal Year 2017 .
Putting Our Best Foot Forward
The West Virginia Department of Economic Development often works alongside the West Virginia National Guard to tell the story of why the Mountain State is the ideal place for the defense industry to flourish , including its top-tier training facilities .
“ We have great facilities in the state for training in maintenance , electronic services , surveillance and technology ,” Clark says . “ A lot of people don ’ t know that many agencies from the special forces community come to train in West Virginia , and it is West Virginia Guardsmen who train them . There is a real opportunity for West Virginia to have a larger footprint than we do .”
Another piece of the defense industry puzzle in West Virginia is the presence of not just federal contractors but federal agencies , including the FBI , NASA and the U . S . Department of Homeland Security .
“ We are trying to recruit other agencies to come to the state and consider West Virginia as a home base ,” says Clark . “ The Opportunity Move project is a state initiative to attract other agencies and federal contractors to come to the state for development , research and collaboration with our major universities . We are always trying to bring in more manufacturers when we can as well .”
This collaboration with the state ’ s universities will be of
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