By Megan Bevins
In northwest West Virginia, the Mid-Ohio Valley sits as a peaceful, yet prosperous, seven-county region with new projects advancing each day. Through hard work and collaboration, Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood counties are part of the force driving the Mountain State forward.
Economic Development
Lindsey Piersol, executive director of the Wood County Development Authority, mentions a myriad of projects happening in and around the Wood County area.
In Williamstown, a data center components manufacturer has purchased the Hino North facility to expand its operations. The company will acquire approximately 200,000 square feet of space. Piersol also mentions Community Bank of Parkersburg, which is on the verge of building a new Parkersburg headquarters, a $20 million project.
“We just opened the first Amazon Last Mile facility in the state of West Virginia,” Piersol says. “We also had a FritoLay Distribution facility quietly open in South Parkersburg last quarter.”
Julie Posey, associate director of development and stewardship at the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF), says the foundation is working to continue their relationships with local funders and provide grants to area organizations to launch important projects. One example of this is a grant awarded to the Bright Beginnings Child Care Center housed at the new West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WVU-P) Innovation and Technology Center (ITC).
“There is a lot of collaboration and a lot of good work that is being done over at the new WVU-P building, one being the new Bright Beginnings childcare facility,” Posey says.
At the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council (MOVRC), approximately $315 million in water and sewer projects are currently underway. Michael Fleak, executive director of the council, says revolving loan funds are bringing new small businesses to the area as well, boosting economic development.
“If you look down Market Street in Parkersburg, many of those small businesses are a result of the loans that were made from the revolving loan fund program here at the regional council,” Fleak says.
Eric Lupardus, president of the Calhoun County Commission and owner of Prime Energy, says he is seeing significant positive impact in the Mid-Ohio Valley from both the 1982 Foundation—a nonprofit focused on reviving Grantsville—and a new Avalon facility. The Avalon will be a $15 million multi-use economic hub with a grand opening set for October 2 and 3, 2026.
Jackson County will soon welcome a new TIMET facility projected to begin operations in October. Veronica Lewis, executive director of the Jackson County Development Authority, says the project will include a solar energy component developed by BHE Renewables, providing a sustainable energy source for the facility.
Veronica also says that remediation efforts at the former Century Aluminum site continue to advance with Tract A being completed soon and ready for future industrial investment.
“As many people know, economic development usually starts below your feet, and we have a lot of infrastructure projects under construction right now across the county,” Veronica says.
Health Care
At Roane General Hospital, patients are eligible to participate in the Prescription for Your Health program, a personal care plan that offers goals for improved health, preventative screenings and wellness checks. Participants are also connected with health coaches who provide education and monitor patients’ progress, as well as a fitness coach.
Memorial Health System is also improving health care in the Mid-Ohio Valley with the addition of a brand-new Sistersville General Hospital in Tyler County, giving residents better care closer to home.
A portion of the Rural Health Transformation Fund, a $199 million investment in the state’s health care, will be utilized for advanced air mobility in the region to enhance medical transport services. Lisha Morlan, executive director of the Roane County Economic Development Authority (EDA), says the organization is currently working with State Commissioner Steve Connolly on this initiative.
“Collaboratively with Calhoun County, we will be likely applying for three or four of the categories for that funding to bring drone services for rural health care in central West Virginia. They have identified Roane County as the pilot county for the initiative,” Morlan says. “Our rural West Virginia counties are stakeholders in that, and this is a model that can be rolled out statewide.”
In April, the WVU Health System board of directors approved $350 million in capital improvement projects. One hundred and thirty-five million dollars of that funding will go to Camden Clark Medical Center in Wood County for a new patient tower adding new private rooms, surgical suites, a women and children’s floor and additional parking spaces.
Camden Clark is also partnering with WVU-P to implement a new EMT program at the college. WVU-P is collaborating with WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital to provide phlebotomy services as well.
Torie Jackson, president of WVU-P, says radiologic technology and surgical technology have been added to its list of programs, and the cosmetology program is expanding to add oncology aesthetics.
“In our area, there are a lot of oncology patients. We want to make sure we are doing our part to help them during chemo and radiation,” Jackson says. “Our students are going to be able to provide them with proper skin care during that time.”
More hospital expansion is happening in Jackson County, where WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital is working toward completing the new Building Hope cancer center.
Candace Miller, president and CEO of Jackson General, says it is also building a new therapy services department featuring gym space, physical and occupational therapy equipment and cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services.
“It’s a comprehensive offering. We provide a full range of therapies, including speech therapy, so patients can complete their recovery here rather than piecing it together across multiple facilities,” Miller says.
Minnie Hamilton Health System in Grantsville is undergoing a $48 million multiphase project scheduled to be completed in summer 2027. Stephen Whited, CEO of Minnie Hamilton, says this upgrade will modernize the facility, improve accessibility for patients and enhance operational efficiency.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state economic development office, the governor’s office and our state legislators for their invaluable support in making this project possible,” Whited says.
Education and Workforce
The WVU-P ITC campus is a significant venue for growth in the region. As part of a 255-acre, $100 million project, the $35 million ITC addition will offer students a modernized space and new programming.
Along with 300 new apartment units in the area, the Wood County Development Authority is working with WVU-P to build 75 single-family homes on the ITC site. Eight acres of campus will also be used to build the Vienna Elementary School.
WVU-P is also growing in the agriculture space with its farm program. The college offers agribusiness, supervisory management, horticulture and livestock programs, and has added four new buildings to its farm in the last year.
“We are involved in a lot of things in agriculture, so that is a growing program and a need for West Virginia for us to continue to provide,” Jackson says.
Working toward advancing in the technology space, WVU-P has hired a cloud computing faculty member that, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, can help launch a degree in the sector within the next year. The university is also working with global technology company IBM on implementing a cyber range and is on track to open incubators for tech businesses, working with partners such as TechConnect West Virginia and LG Nova to help with coaching. To improve workforce training, WVU-P has implemented an incumbent worker training program, with the first class graduating in December.
“It is exciting for us because these jobs can keep students here, and everything we do is about impacting the workforce and making sure we are providing jobs that allow our young people to be very successful in our area,” Jackson says.
Veronica says the Jackson County Development Authority is hosting a small business development class, where participants can have one-on-one meetings with a business coach to discuss their business goals, challenges and opportunities for growth.
“Participants will receive individualized guidance on areas ranging from branding and packaging to digital marketing and website effectiveness, helping them strengthen their businesses and position themselves for long-term success,” she says. “Small businesses are a vital component of Jackson County’s economy, and supporting their growth remains a key priority for the development authority.”
To bring business and workforce development professionals together in the Mid-Ohio Valley, the Workforce Development Board MOV (WDBMOV) will host the First 8 Initiative, a year-long program educating workforce professionals on the eight industries carrying the demand for occupations in the region. This builds on the WDBMOV’s Seeing WV’s Future Through a Different Lens project, in which the organization obtained an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant allowing it to use virtual reality to facilitate career exploration.
“Where the ARC grant started our efforts to facilitate increased understanding and dialogue between construction trades and public schools, the First 8 Initiative strives to facilitate increased understanding between employers and the workforce development community toward improving the workforce participation rate and meeting the staffing needs of the region,” says Cyndi Auth, executive director of the WDBMOV.
Community Revitalization
With $145,982 in HOME-ARP funding from Parkersburg City Council, the Legal Aid of West Virginia Parkersburg office plans to expand housing stability services for clients through the Legal Aid Eviction Diversion Initiative.
John Williams, supervising attorney at Legal Aid, says the organization is also offering free legal clinics focused on estate planning, which run in partnership with each county’s Family Support Center. Legal Aid’s goal is to add more free clinics for end-of-life planning such as wills and estate planning. Individuals apply for these services through the company’s website or by phone.
“We are also coordinating an expungement clinic with our local public defender’s office for community members with prior criminal matters, aimed at reducing barriers to employment and economic stability,” Williams says.
Fleak mentions positive changes to AmeriCorps Seniors programs in the Mid-Ohio Valley, including the hiring of Karl Nan, director for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.
“Two of those programs actually pay stipends to low-income seniors, and we have volunteers in about 35 counties in West Virginia,” Fleak says.
Through a collaboration with the PACF, the MOVRC was also able to help the town catch up on overdue audits, allowing it to begin infrastructure improvements previously held up.
“If you are talking about collaboratives in our eight counties, we seem to be working really well,” he says. “I do not think there is a day or a week that goes by that I don’t talk to Lisha with the EDA or Lindsey Piersol.”
Ecostrat, a biomass and organic feedstock supplier, recently reached out to the Roane County EDA and PACF with an interest in the area’s natural resources. This encouraged local organizations to further explore the woody biomass feedstock in the area and see how it may attract new businesses.
Morlan explains that the Roane County EDA is working with these organizations to secure a USDA Rural Development Block Grant to fund a Bioeconomy Development Opportunity zone rating.
“Lindsey, Mike and I talked, and it sounds like Roane County has a density of that woody feedstock, and they look at a 75-mile radius,” Morlan says. “So, what is the feedstock? What is the supply chain, and what are potential companies that could be attracted to the area that want to make biofuel out of the woody stock?”
Morlan says the Roane County EDA is also hosting a grant writing workshop, in collaboration with Roane County EMS/911 and MOVRC, facilitated by the Grant Resource Network. Other strategic efforts are leading a multi-county broadband initiative and a designated Appalachian drone and aviation weekend for the county on September 11-13.
“The intent of that is to introduce drones and drone usage across multiple vertical industrial sectors and expose students to the different types of jobs they could secure utilizing drones,” she says.
At the 1982 Foundation, community revitalization is underway through renovations that will create space for new businesses in Grantsville. The organization has purchased the Calhoun County High School to rebuild, and has plans to build a private school, fine dining restaurant and collective restaurant. Focusing on serving children in the area, the foundation has also recently opened an aquatic center and hosts programs like Gift of Giving, giving out Christmas presents at no cost.
Vienna’s Grand Central Mall, under new owner Cafaro Company, is undergoing major renovations, including new paint, roofing, HVAC, lighting, flooring, restrooms and entrances.
The Wood County Development Authority is also utilizing 2022 and 2023 federal earmark grants to renovate the former Civil War hospital in Wood County. A 2026 grant will allow the development authority to update Spencer’s Landing as well.
Brenda Mobley, executive director of the Ripley Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), says the organization accomplishes many things through its community partnerships, including collaborating with retail businesses for shopping events like the Silver Bell Stroll, which the CVB plans to expand this year.
“We promote everything we possibly can about Jackson County, whether it is shopping, dining, staying in the hotels or campgrounds,” Mobley says. “Our goal is to bring people here to enjoy our area.”
Outdoor Recreation
According to Fleak, MOVRC, which acts as the administrator for Metropolitan Planning Organization TripleW, which is located at the agency, is currently working on its long-term transportation plan. It will run through 2050.
“A hot topic is the rails to trails, the P2P, which is the Parkersburg to Pittsburgh trail,” Fleak says. “We are ground zero, and you cannot really get on the trails at ground zero. There is a big push to try to get bikes to start in downtown Parkersburg, to hit the rails, to head out to North Bend and then on up through.”
Mark Lewis, president and CEO of the Greater Parkersburg CVB, says the West Virginia Motor Speedway has reopened in Mineral Wells and explains that the CVB is seeking out funding for a sewage extension to the track. Mark says he has also met with Richie County Commissioner Steve Ritter to secure funding for a four-county area that can be used to build routes and itineraries on gravel roads for bike packers.
“We are trying to find the funding to do that with the potential of creating the largest connected network of mapped gravel trails in the eastern U.S. and maybe in the country,” he says.
Mobley says the Roots & Routes agritourism trail is expanding this year to include Mason, Roane, Putnam, Wood and Wirt counties alongside Jackson County. The trail encourages visitation to local farms and seasonal events.
“The passport trail gets you out into the countryside to meet with these producers and farmers. You can buy produce and baked goods and see all the animals,” Mobley says. “We are hoping this continues to grow.”
On June 1, United Bank hosted its 30th annual charity golf tournament, the Kids Golf Classic, supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg. At the event, bank leaders announced a new lifetime fundraising amount of more than $5.1 million for the club and thanked sponsors for their continued support and dedication to local children and families. D.F. Mock, regional president at United Bank, says the bank is proud to host the event and continue its long-standing commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg.
“The Kids Golf Classic has become an important tradition for our community and a meaningful investment in the future of the Mid-Ohio Valley,” Mock says. “Proceeds from the tournament account for approximately one-fourth of the club’s operating budget and help fund critical programs for children and families throughout the year.”
Waypoint Zero, a brand-new overland outpost campground, opened this year in Calhoun County, giving visitors a vast new space to park and enjoy the Mountain State’s natural beauty. Lupardus says this centrally located spot will work with other areas seeking similar travel facilities to extend the route system for travelers.
“We are excited to prioritize our local business partnerships and the assistance we receive from the West Virginia Department of Tourism,” he says.
