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West Virginia businesses hope to benefit from trip to builders show

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The West Virginia Development Office is sponsoring an international trade mission of a different kind this week. The office is joining five West Virginia companies are wooing international buyers at a massive building and trade show in Las Vegas.

“Where we would typically go overseas, we’re doing this one domestically which is a little different,” West Virginia Development Office International Division Director Steve Spence said. “There are so many buyers from around the world that come to this show it’s an opportunity for the five companies participating to meet with potential customers.”

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) began Tuesday and stretched through Thursday.

Among those companies on the trip to Vegas is Appalachian Log Structures of Jackson County. President Doug Parsons said it’s a new experience for his company which normally participates in smaller, regional shows which typically cater to retail customers in West Virginia.

“The traffic is pretty decent. Being our first time we haven’t had anything to compare it to, but it is an extremely large show,” said Parsons.

West Virginia exports about $8 billion in goods annually. Spence said that represents a major part of the state’s economy which needs to be protected and encouraged.

“Eight billion dollars coming into our economy and helping employ West Virginians is very important,” he said.

The state’s biggest export is coal. Spence said West Virginia is the nation’s largest exporter of coal, but that’s often subject to market conditions and global demands. He said there are many other products which simply need exposure.

“Our program can’t have much of an impact on that so we really focus on helping small and medium-sized companies that produce quality products. We help them find overseas market opportunities,” Spence said. “The companies exhibiting with us are unlikely to have done this show on their own because of the expense, but by being here they are meeting potential customers they may not have been able to meet otherwise.”

Parsons agreed and said it’s hard to reach the international market, but his company has done it in the past with good results.

“It’s something we need to build on. In years past we’ve shipped to several international companies such as Australia, South Korea, China, Japan, and Jamaica,” Parsons said.

 





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