WVE: As a result of the 2016 elections, are
you seeing an increase in optimism or continued
uncertainty among your association members?
RM: I think manufacturers are cautiously optimistic about
the future of industry at both the state and national level.
WVE: What is the greatest challenge you see facing
your industry right now?
RM: The skilled worker shortage is a challenge for manu-
facturing right now. It is a widespread issue and not exclu-
sive to West Virginia. This is a key factor in the West Virginia
Manufacturers Association’s own efforts to promote educa-
tional pathways to careers in manufacturing through our edu-
cational fund. Of equal importance is West Virginia’s budget
shortfall. While manufacturers are sympathetic to this issue
and understand that West Virginia didn’t arrive in this situa-
tion overnight, we are also aware that taxes imposed on the
state’s manufacturers are out of step with virtually every other
state. Taxes on inventory and machinery create a competitive
disadvantage for West Virginia companies, particularly in a
consumer society that has grown to expect the quick shipping
of products at the click of a mouse, which means manufactur-
ers can no longer simply produce to fill orders.
WVE: What is the one law or one change that would
have a major positive impact on your industry?
RM: Adoption of House Bill 2506, the West Virginia Fair Labor
Standards Act, is very important to manufacturing growth in
West Virginia. Given the number of clusters of vacant industrial
Myrtle Beach flights
resume June 1st.
properties around West Virginia, providing protective but appro-
priate relief for overlapping discharges can encourage the develop-
ment of already existing manufacturing infrastructure. Because the
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection imposes
Category A standards statewide, our surrounding states have a
competitive advantage. Adoption of harmonic mean design flow
for human health criteria doesn’t change the Category A applica-
tion, but it does bring West Virginia closer to standards in other
states and conforms with EPA recommendations.
Bill Raney
President, West Virginia Coal Association
WVE: Give us a brief update
on your industry.
BR: The past eight years have been
devastating, and our folks are doing
everything possible to recover and
keep their operations active and their
people working. President Barack
Obama’s war on coal was real and
had far-reaching negative impacts on
the coal-producing counties. There
are positive signs now, though, and
our production is improving with some operations restarting
and people getting called back to work.
Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex
and
North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB)
congratulate
Mr. Jim Estep
on being named a 2017 Sharp Shooter!
Keep soaring Jim!
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