Wood County development meeting highlights business growth
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PARKERSBURG -- Reviewing the past year's economic development efforts and connecting local businesses with future opportunities were the focus of a joint annual meeting Wednesday at Discovery World on Market.
The Wood County Development Authority and the Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corporation held the meeting in Discovery World's Ember Theater for the first time. Lindsey Piersol, of the Wood County Economic Development office, said organizers expected about 100 business leaders.
The annual gathering provides an opportunity to share statistics from the previous fiscal year, discuss projects and handle administrative matters, including board nominations, Piersol said.
It also is intended to help people understand the work behind attracting businesses and supporting growth, including obstacles that can affect whether projects move forward.
"I think that you know the common person has an idea of what economic development is or what they'd like to see with economic development, but they maybe don't understand how we get there or why we don't have a certain thing," Piersol said.
She said the meetings are designed to explain what happened during the year and provide information about projects in the pipeline.
During her presentation, Piersol highlighted business recruitment, redevelopment and workforce partnerships, reporting 42 business retention and expansion visits and 176 leads, prospects and follow-ups during the past fiscal year. Keynote speaker Christine Davies, West Virginia's deputy secretary for economic development and workforce participation, discussed efforts to prepare development sites, expand job training and connect residents with employment, emphasizing mentorship and community support for people entering or returning to the workforce.
Davies joined the state Department of Commerce after 25 years working in business, technology, policy and entrepreneurship, according to a release announcing the meeting. Her background includes founding and leading Poligage, a marketplace connecting clients with government and public affairs experts, and positions with Asia Society, Microsoft, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of State.
Piersol said the annual meeting draws representatives from a range of sectors, including banking, construction, health care, education, retail and manufacturing, along with elected officials.
Those connections can help businesses identify opportunities to work with new projects or companies planning expansions, she said.
"So we always hope that people come and network," Piersol said. "Number one, we want people to meet each other who are our members, our business leaders."
Piersol said the office welcomes questions throughout the year about development efforts and potential opportunities. The goal is to serve as a resource for businesses and the community.
"So we always want to make sure that if there's an issue or an opportunity, our office is in front of it, and that's what we try to demonstrate all year long," she said.
Additional coverage of local development projects and statewide workforce initiatives discussed at the meeting will appear in the Business section of the weekend edition of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.