Chamber News

Gov. Jim Justice is now moving to two weeks of gym, health clubs and recreational facilities closing. The governor said to all employers, “Try in every way you can to let your people go home. Home is the key here.” West Virginia’s coronavirus precautions have come fast in the past week.

In what almost seems like an overnight phenomenon, the coronavirus has spread from its origin point in China to countries around the globe, affecting the world’s citizens, institutions and businesses, including those in the Mountain State.

State officials provided an update this afternoon on coronavirus response, while precautions were taking place all over West Virginia. “We don’t have any identified cases here, but we won’t be surprised when we find the first one,” said Cathy Slemp, the state health officer.

Since December of 2018, work to complete the 600 mile Atlantic Coastal Pipeline has been halted, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs and tens of thousands of dollars in revenue across the state. On Feb. 23, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared ready to remove an obstacle to construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, with a majority of justices expressing skepticism about a lower court ruling that tossed out a key permit needed for the natural gas pipeline to cross under the Appalachian Trail.

Brian Dayton of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce said an intermediate court would relieve a backlog from state circuit courts. “Many of our circuit courts have a significant backlog, and that can limit all parties’ access to speedy trials,” Dayton said. “I would like to applaud the Legislature for giving very serious consideration of this issue.”

After years of discussion from West Virginia legislators regarding the repeal of the business personal property tax on machinery, equipment and inventory, state officials are weighing in on the positive impacts and potential implications that come with the removal of the tax.

The average number of workers in West Virginia for the 2019 calendar year was the highest employment the state has seen in more than a decade. According to a news release from the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the seasonally adjusted average of employment for 2019 was 759,000.

Nearly every aspect of business and commerce in today’s interconnected, always-online world depends upon some form of technology. Technology — with its ability to connect small business owners to global markets and make communication nearly instantaneous — continues to progress and change at a rapid pace that shows no signs of stopping.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice expressed his gratitude Monday for employment numbers returning to pre-Great Recession levels.

For some areas of the Mountain State, such as the greater Beckley area and the New River Gorge, the words ‘Wild and Wonderful’ aren’t just a catchphrase, but rather a potential engine for economic revitalization.