Photo by Gat Creek .
Manufacturing Growth
JAMIE NULL
Transforming the Mountain State
West Virginia manufacturers are a driving force in the state ’ s economy . According to the National Association of Manufacturers , West Virginia supported $ 3.54 billion in manufactured goods in 2019 and $ 1.67 billion in exports for free trade agreement partners . Together , those pre-pandemic numbers created jobs and supported growing businesses in the Mountain State . Now , two years into the COVID-19 pandemic , manufacturers talk about growth in the industry and the challenges and ongoing concerns of workforce meeting supply and demand .
Gat Creek , a furniture maker in Morgan County , employed 150 people at its 100,000-square-foot facility in 2019 .
“ The furniture industry was experiencing a modest recovery prior to the pandemic — housing starts were rising , and millennials were finally starting to form families and buy furniture ,” says CEO Gat Caperton . “ Everything changed with the pandemic . We moved from growing 10 % a year to growing over 30 % per year . This is a lot for a manufacturing company .”
With people spending more time at home , homeowners started looking closely at their living spaces , which , for many , included buying new furniture and home goods .
“ We had no idea forcing people to stay in their homes for two years would drive so much business ,” he says . “ Like most businesses , we idled production at the end of the first quarter in 2020 . People kept buying furniture , mostly using online channels , and our backlog grew fast and grew large . In the fourth quarter of 2020 , we announced our plan to expand our factory by 40,000 square feet and double our production capacity .”
Furniture isn ’ t the only manufacturing sector experiencing growth in West Virginia . Steven Weiss , Allegany Ballistics Laboratory ( ABL ) site lead and director of the tactical propulsion and ordnance operating unit at Northrop Grunman , says ABL ’ s workforce has grown by 14 % between 2020 and 2022 . The company designs , develops and manufactures tactical rocket motors , medium caliber ammunition , components and end times and fuze and electronics equipment . ABL — which employs approximately 1,600 doctors , scientists , engineers , technicians and hourly workers — is expecting more growth in the coming years .
“ We continually invest in new facilities , equipment and training to bring top-notch offerings to our customers ,” says Weiss . “ We have embraced a new normal . We offer flexible schedules when possible and are happy to see our employees back .”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE