An Industrial Revolution
Investing in West Virginia
ANNA MOORE
New business is risky at any time , but in a post-pandemic world where the U . S . economy faces endless challenges , one could say there is even more risk than before .
From June 2022 to June 2023 , West Virginia registered 13,229 new businesses , according to the Secretary of State ’ s Office . Leading all 55 counties in business growth during that timeframe was Jefferson County , which had a 19.34 % growth rate . From January to June 2023 , 7,220 total new businesses were registered in the state .
For this article , West Virginia Executive is highlighting specific industries with companies that have recently , or will soon , start production in the Mountain State . We ’ ve categorized those industries by manufacturing , coal and natural gas .
Manufacturing we look for people who have a ‘ we ’ mentality and want to be a part of something bigger ,” says CEO Jeff Sokal . “ Team members who align with our mission for the agriculture / dairy industry and are interested in building solutions for food insecurities typically create elevated energy that feeds inspiration and commitment . Those are the team members we want .”
In just 10 months , Mountaintop Beverage has grown to 150 highly skilled , hard-working team members . The Mountaintop manufacturing facility has the potential to grow to approximately 750,000 square feet , creating up to 450 jobs , along with hundreds of additional downstream jobs in farming , transportation , services and supplies . A project of this size will meet a need for dairy in this region for decades to come .
Mountaintop Beverage
By Beth Pratt , Chief People Officer for Mountaintop Beverage
Mountaintop Beverage opened its 330,000-square-foot , state-of-the-art aseptic beverage manufacturing facility this year in the Morgantown Industrial Park . The company is dedicated to producing high-quality , shelf-stable beverages for large national brands . Morgantown is situated in an ideal supply chain corridor for both incoming bulk ingredients and outbound finished good shipments to a large portion of the U . S . population . In addition , Mountaintop Beverage found an incredible talent pool , which allows for superior quality in the products for its customer base .
“ We refer to our employees as team members because
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