West Virginia: ambassadors, exporters convene to bring more of state to the world; conference puts global businesses out in front

Business America, June, 1998 by Douglas Wallace

To West Virginia, international trade is not about eating French toast, English muffins, and Canadian bacon for breakfast. Rather, it's about bringing home the bread. This was made clear May 20 during the West Virginia International Trade Partners Luncheon in Washington, D.C., where West Virginia business people and embassy staff members from Latin America, Asia, the European Union, and Canada met to encourage mutual business.

David Lowe, Chairman of the West Virginia Council for Community and Economic Development, said in his introduction, "The beauty of our mountains and our deep valleys and our crystal clear rivers masks the challenges that have faced us." The fresh air of a now blowing in from international trade is a new type of comfort which is much needed. In and appreciated in West Virginia.

Indeed, the benefits of free trade are increasingly evident in this state. To cite some examples, 70 percent of all coal exported from the United States today comes from West Virginia. In addition, West Virginia's total exports have increased by 41 percent over the past three years. These positive signs are sound proof that West Virginia is finally opening its eyes and feeling the warm breeze of the prosperity inherent to international trade.

West Virginia Governor Cecil H. Underwood addressed the meeting, and stated during his remarks that what we all learned in Economics 101 about opening our borders to trade is true -- we are all feeling, drinking, tasting, using, driving, and wearing the benefits of international trade this very day. Governor Underwood said, "West Virginians believe in freedom and we know that must include free trade."

Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-W.V.) addressed the gathering by describing the valuable resources which West Virginia possesses. According to the Senator, "More important than West Virginia's timber, coal, and water is its people. The work ethic in West Virginia is just simply superior." Rockefeller learned of the challenges West Virginian workers had to overcome on a daily basis as a VISTA volunteer in his late 20s. It took a long, hard fight just to get the school bus to stop at the small mining community of Emmons where he was serving.

The hard-working reputation of West Virginian workers is quickly paying off. Last year, West Virginia ranked number one in per capita jobs created, and unemployment has fallen 50 percent since 1993. This reputation has spread to other countries. Today, there are 61 foreign-owned operations in West Virginia from 16 different countries, and these businesses employ 40,000 West Virginians.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is encouraging West Virginia to further capitalize on opportunities in international. markets. Through the Rural Export Initiative, the Department is developing strategies for increasing the exports from rural areas such as West Virginia. Also, MPL Corporation from Buckhannon was one of the 18 companies that joined Secretary of Commerce Daley on a Business Development Mission to Northern Ireland and the border counties just last month. In addition, the Charleston and Wheeling Export Assistance Centers continue to serve West Virginian companies that are interested in exporting. Though its mountains may be high, it is the sky that is the limit for West Virginia's export potential.

West Virginia business owners interested in exporting should contact the Commerce Department's Export Assistance Centers in the state. Consult the USEAC listing on pages 34-36, or call the Trade Information Center at (800) USA-TRADE.