[ business ]
Appalachian Regional Commission
CATHY BONNSTETTER
Investing in West Virginia Communities
With a cost of doing business that is one of the lowest in the country, tax burdens that have been lightened by more than $ 850 million and the elimination of the business franchise tax, businesses can find a comfortable home in the Mountain State. Many, such as Toyota and Procter & Gamble, already have, and the state is ripe with opportunities for additional growth and development.
Much of this opportunity is thanks to the investment of the Appalachian Regional Commission( ARC). A federal-state partnership established in 1965, ARC’ s mission is to innovate, partner and invest to build community capacity and fuel economic growth across the Appalachian region. The commission’ s funding is provided by Congress and dispersed to state and local agencies and other government entities in an effort to help meet the following goals: seizing economic opportunities, preparing a ready workforce, addressing critical infrastructure, strengthening natural and cultural assets and building leadership and community capacity.
“ When the Appalachian Regional Commission first came into being, there were some significant and dire infrastructure needs in the region,” says ARC spokesperson Wendy Wasserman.“ We helped plot, finance and develop the Appalachian highway system. We also did a lot of brick and mortar for health clinics.”
As economic development needs changed both at the state and federal levels, ARC evolved to make itself nimble enough to address the changing priorities. As a result, today ARC funding also focuses on 21st century necessities such as education, training, e-commerce and technology sector job creation, and ARC matching grants help host a gamut of programs such as downtown revitalization with Main Street West Virginia.
Due to a strong need for entrepreneurs, the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education( EntreEd) began in West Virginia with a three-county pilot study and has grown, in large part, thanks to ARC’ s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization( POWER) initiative. POWER focuses on helping coal-impacted communities diversify and grow, and in West Virginia, POWER funds are at work helping provide entrepreneurial education in McDowell, Mingo, Webster and Clay counties.
“ We have an elementary school where each class creates a product and then sells it on parents’ night,” says Gene Coulson, executive director of EntreEd.“ At another school, we have students growing crops in their high tunnel. With the POWER grant, we have partnered with eight community colleges, and now they are our local anchors.“
The largest POWER award in the state, at $ 1.5 million, is dedicated to bringing municipal water to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV, for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. This ARC grant has been coupled with a $ 1 million U. S. Environmental Development Administration grant.
“ It’ s hard to imagine, but the airport, which was built in 1953, has never had city water,” says Clint Ranson, manager of the Mercer County Regional Airport.“ We have sewer, we have broadband— just not water. The ARC is a big part of the funding for this three-year project. We will have water on or before the end of 2019.”
ARC’ s municipal water project, along with the completion of the King Coal Highway project, will open up 200 acres for economic development in four Southern West Virginia counties and southwestern Virginia.
“ The King Coal Highway will run right through the middle of the airport once it is complete,” says Ranson.“ We are looking forward to becoming a great location. In fact, as far as an industrial park location goes, we are considering it a gold mine.”
ARC’ s impact on West Virginia alone has been astounding, and 2017 did not see a shortage in support by any means. Last year, ARC’ s West Virginia projects totaled nearly $ 19 million with the largest portion—$ 7.3 million— going toward economic opportunities. The next largest amount, $ 5.3 million, was invested in workforce education; $ 5.1 million was invested in critical infrastructure; and $ 1.3 million was invested in cultivating leadership and community capacity throughout the state. These funds helped create more than 1,000 jobs and train and educate more than 1,320 students and workers. •
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE