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.
A big thank you to @Steptoe & Johnson PLLC for your support!
Your partnership with Advantage Valley helps drive new opportunities, support local businesses, and empower entrepreneurs throughout our 9 counties, WV's Huntington to Charleston Metro Region.
We’re grateful to have you helping move our region forward.
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Healing happens in unexpected places — sometimes, it starts with a horse. 🐎
Kathryn Ellis, founder of Stable Woods, brings more than 25 years of hands-on equine experience to her work in equine-assisted therapy. Certified through Greg Kersten’s OK Corral Series, Kathryn creates a safe, trusted space where individuals and families can experience genuine connection and healing.
Through Advantage Valley’s FASTER WV program, Stable Woods received Technical Assistance to help grow and strengthen this impactful work.
We’re proud to support entrepreneurs like Kathryn who are making a difference in the lives of others across our region.
🐎Learn more about Stable Woods at www.stablewoodsequine.com
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We are pleased to recognize West Virginia American Water as a Growth Partner in Advantage Valley.
Their investment helps fuel strategic business recruitment, strengthens existing industries, and advances entrepreneurship throughout the region.
We appreciate your partnership and commitment to regional prosperity.
To see a full list of Investors, visit our website: advantagevalley.com/2026-investors/
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Thank you Huntington Federal Savings Bank for your investment in Advantage Valley.
Your leadership supports business growth, workforce development, and entrepreneurship across our region.
We are so grateful for your partnership.
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📍 Where’s Bryan? Selfie Series
Today we found Bryan celebrating a birthday 🎉 with the entire Advantage Valley team at Lola’s Pizza 🍕
It’s a rare moment to have everyone together—we’re usually out across the region supporting local businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities.
So we took a minute to celebrate one of our own 🥳
👥 Team Advantage Valley
Bryan Shaw
Marjorie Cooke
Barbie Moodie Wood
Terrell Ellis
Sasha Strader
Debby Berry
Moments like this remind us how much we enjoy the work—and the people we get to do it with! ❤️
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A sincere thank you to Marshall University 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 so grateful to have you as a partner! (Especially with our new Marshall Skills Exchange partnership)
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