Buildings & Sites
Economic Data
Workforce & Education
Target Industries
Advantage Valley in southwestern West Virginia is a nine-county region stretching from Huntington to Charleston, forming one of the nation’s most resource-rich and business-friendly corridors.
Served by three Interstates (I-64, I-77, and I-79) and several U.S. highways with Interstate access, Advantage Valley has fast connections to key cities and markets throughout the eastern half of the nation. Busy CSX and Norfolk Southern mainlines connect the region to the continent’s rail network and ports along the Ohio River and in Virginia. The area is served by six navigable rivers with truck-to-barge capabilities, two ports, and two regional airports.
Advantage Valley’s history in industries such as coal production earned local workers (and there are 353,000 of them in our labor shed) a reputation for initiative and employer loyalty. In fact, West Virginia has the nation’s lowest manufacturing employee turnover rate. With an outstanding quality of life, a low cost of living, and competitive wages, it’s easy for local employers to draw recruits to the area. Plus, our local K-12 and postsecondary educators have long worked closely with local companies to deliver workforce training and education programs aligned with the needs of employers.
One of the many great reasons to bring your business to Advantage Valley is the variety of available development sites and existing buildings, all with competitive utility rates. Whether you’re seeking a downtown storefront, Class A offices, or a huge industrial facility with rail and port access, we can help you find the ideal location.
Advantages of Doing Business
in West Virginia
Third Lowest Cost
of Doing Business
(CNBC, 2024)
Lowest
Manufacturing Turnover Rate
(BLS Industry Report, 2020)
Lowest Cost
of Living
(MERIC, 2024)
2nd Lowest Worker’s
Compensation Rates
(Oregon Consumer and Business Service, 2022)
3rd Lowest Personal
Property Taxes
(Tax Rates.org 2022)
Advantage Valley’s Partners
Advantage Valley is a non-profit economic development organization that works with the State of West Virginia, local governments, county economic development authorities, sector and business leaders, chambers of commerce, academic and training institutions, and nonprofit partners in order to showcase our nine-county region and strengthen the economy. We’re proud of these many local partners who have joined together to promote our unified vision for growth.
Chambers of Commerce
Charleston Area Alliance | Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce | Putnam County Chamber of Commerce | South Charleston Chamber of Commerce | St. Albans Chamber of Commerce
Economic Development Organizations
Boone County Community and Economic Development Corporation | Charleston Area Alliance | Huntington Area Development Council | Jackson County Development Authority | Lincoln Economic Development Authority | Mason County Development Authority | Putnam County Development Authority | Wayne County Economic Development Authority
Convention & Visitor Bureaus
Cabell-Huntington | Charleston | South Charleston
Research & Development Institutions
Byrd Biotechnology Science Center at Marshall University | AVN Corporation | Tech Connect West Virginia | The Chemical Alliance Zone | The Polymer Alliance Zone | West Virginia Regional Technology Park
West Virginia Workforce Development
BridgeValley Community and Technical College | Mountwest Community and Technical College | Southern Community and Technical College | West Virginia University-Parkersburg
Marshall University Advanced Manufacturing Center | FAME West Virginia | Putnam Career and Technical Center | Roane-Jackson Technical Center | Carver Career and Technical Education Center | Garnet Career Center, Wayne County North Vocational Technical School | Cabell County Career Technology Center | Boone Career and Technical Center
FASTER WV
FASTER WV – Helping Entrepreneurs Start and Grow Businesses in West Virginia
FASTER WV is Advantage Valley’s entrepreneurship support program designed to help startups and small businesses launch, grow, and become financially sustainable. The program connects entrepreneurs across the Advantage Valley region with business coaching, training programs, technical assistance grants, and access to capital.
Whether you are starting your first business, expanding an existing company, or purchasing a business, FASTER WV provides guidance and resources to help you succeed.
🍎Taste of Appalachia is back!
This week we officially launched the second year of Taste of Appalachia, celebrating the talented food entrepreneurs and locally made products that make our region so special.
This year, Taste of Appalachia features 17 participating vendors, including 15 from the Advantage Valley region, and six curated holiday gift sets filled with products made in West Virginia.
Last year, more than 1,145 gift boxes were sold, featuring more than 8,200 individual products and generating more than $60,000 in direct revenue for participating small businesses.
We were also pleased to recognize The Thrasher Group with the 2026 Taste of Appalachia Corporate Impact Award for its tremendous support of the program during our inaugural year.
🛍️ Online sales open September 15 at 8:00 a.m. at tasteofappalachia.com.
📅 Join us for the Taste of Appalachia Showcase on Sunday, October 18, from 1–4 p.m. at Capitol Market - Charleston, WV where you can meet participating vendors, sample their products and purchase Taste of Appalachia gift sets.
Read more here: advantagevalley.com/advantage-valley-launches-2026-taste-of-appalachia-series-of-holiday-gift-set...
#TasteOfAppalachia #MadeInWV #ShopLocalWV #AdvantageValleyWV #yesWV @followers Appalachian Regional Commission @Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation ...
Advantage Valley Launches 2026 “Taste of Appalachia” Series of Holiday Gift Sets, Supporting Local Food Manufacturers
advantagevalley.com
August 25, 2026 – Charleston, WV – Building on a successful inaugural year, Advantage Valley is launching the second year of Taste of Appalachia, a regional economic development initiative support...1 CommentsComment on Facebook
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🤖 Are customers finding your business through AI?
Search is changing. It’s no longer just about ranking on Google—it’s increasingly about being recommended by tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
Join Katie and Enhao with Founded Outdoors for a FREE webinar on how AI evaluates your website, business information and customer reviews—and how you can improve the signals that help AI understand and recommend your business.
📅 September 23
⏰ 1–2:30 p.m.
💻 FREE virtual webinar
✅ No technical background needed!
Register now! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cAHOn21ZTsa8uHxV5QUX7Q
#SmallBusiness #AI #DigitalMarketing #FASTERWV #YesWV @followers Terrell Ellis ...
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🏠 A preview of what’s ahead for housing in the Advantage Valley region.
Advantage Valley President & CEO Terrell Ellis shared highlights today with Rotary from our soon-to-be-released 2026 Advantage Valley Housing Needs Assessment Update.
Want to hear the full findings? Join us August 27 at 10 a.m. for a free webinar with Bowen National Research exploring the region’s changing housing needs, development opportunities and what they mean for future growth.
👉 Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pSW68-88Ra2PR6p9Wh_P7w
#AdvantageValleyWV #Housing #EconomicDevelopment #WestVirginia #YesWV ...
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Can housing keep pace with regional growth? 🏠
Join us August 27 for the release of the 2026 Advantage Valley Housing Needs Assessment Update.
Employers, community leaders, developers, builders and residents are all encouraged to attend. 📊
Register today:
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pSW68-88Ra2PR6p9Wh_P7w
#Housing #EconomicDevelopment #AdvantageValleyWV #yesWV @followers
(This housing assessment includes Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam, Roane, and Wayne Counties in WV.) ...
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A sincere thank you to the Putnam County Commission for investing in Advantage Valley.
Your support helps us recruit new companies, strengthen our workforce, and empower entrepreneurs through programs like FASTER WV. Together, we are building a stronger, more competitive region.
We’re grateful to have you as a partner in our work!
View our list of investors here: advantagevalley.com/2026-investors/
#InvestIntheRegion #AdvantageValleyWV #yesWV @followers ...
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