CHARLESTON, W.Va. –A new economic initiative, Grow West Virginia, was launched by Governor Patrick Morrisey Thursday.
The initiative is aimed at creating jobs and expanding opportunities for West Virginians.
Morrisey, in a news conference Thursday morning, said this is one step in growing an economy that outshines other states, like what legislators accomplished last session.
“When you create something that allows the private marketplace to really develop and grow like what you’re seeing, take that data center bill, take the bill on one stop permitting, all that’s designed to send a message to everyone that there’s no state that can compete with us,” Morrisey said.
He wants to accomplish growth in five different areas:
Grow paychecks by reducing or eliminating taxes and fees
Grow jobs by helping current businesses expand and attract new businesses’
Grow the free market environment by cutting red tape and being the fastest permitting state in the region
Grow opportunities through vo-tech education programs and a focus on attracting jobs in expanding, up-and-coming fields
Grow labor participation by getting able-bodied West Virginians back to work
Morrisey said that their approach is going to be different.
“It’s different than what we saw in the past, it’s not just throwing money, trying to buy, what we’re trying to do is think about the whole environment,” he said.
As the first step in the plan to grow jobs, Morrisey also announced the West Virginia Jobs initiative that involves $50 million to be used as targeted investments aligned with the state’s broader economic development goals.
Mettler Packaging has been chosen to be the first investment under the initiative. The company will receive $400,000 targeted investment in their facility located in Moorefield. This funding will help retain 120 current jobs and add up to 50 news ones.
Morrisey says the goal is to create an environment that businesses are drawn too.
“We’re going to try our best to create the best environment so that businesses naturally come on board and that we can work with them if there’s strategic investments,” he said.