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West Virginia Contact Info

  • Contact Name:
  • Mr. Sven Gerzer - Director (C.A.S.E. Vice Chair)
  • Address:
  • State of West Virginia
    Karolinenplatz 3
    80333 Munich
    Germany
  • Phone:
  • 49 (0) 89 54 88 41 12
  • Fax:
  • 49 (0) 89 54 88 41 33
  • Email:
  • info@west-virginia.eu

West Virginia Demographic Info

  • Region:
  • Mid Atlantic
  • Population:
  • 1.8 million
  • Gross State Product:
  • $ 55.6 billion (2006)
  • Exports:
  • $ 4 billion (2007)
  • Labor Force:
  • 818,000 (April 2008)
  • Latest Unemployment Rate:
  • 5.0% (April 2008)
  • Per Capita Personal Income:
  • $ 29,537 (2007)
  • Capital City:
  • Charleston
  • Principal Cities:
  • Beckley, Huntington, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling.

West Virginia Success Stories

Huntington-based Vandalia Research Inc. plans to expand the commercialization of its proprietary Triathlon DNA production services. Triathlon is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-b...

Biotech company to expand commercial DNA production
Vandalia Research Inc. of Huntington, West Virginia

West Virginia News[archive]

West Virginia - Others Others - Home

 

West Virginia's wood and tourism industries.

Wood Industry

West Virginia’s 11 million acres of timberland make the state a wonderful location for the value-added wood products sector.  The wood industry generates $3.2 billion annually to the state's economy and employs more than 30,000 jobs. Each of the state's 55 counties has some segment of the wood industry as an employer; in fact, the forest products sector is the largest employer in many of these counties. Major industry leaders with a presence in the state include American Woodmark, Trus Joist MacMillan, Columbia Forest Products, Bruce Hardwood Floors, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Weyerhaeuser, and Jeld-Wen.

Over 75 % of the state’s land area is forested. The average board feet of timber on an acre of land has increased steadily since the 1950s from 1,711 to nearly 6,500 board feet, an increase of 366 percent. West Virginia’s hardwood resources include oak, hickory, maple, beech, and birch. This amounts to 60 billion board feet of inventory, handled by 1,400 logging companies, 199 sawmills, two major veneer mills, and nine hardwood dimension mills.

Toursim Industry:

West Virginia is rich with natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and a unique cultural climate that combines the spirit of Appalachia with the colorful international flavor of our residents from around the globe.

More than 200,000 acres of the state have been set aside as state parks, forests and wildlife management areas. These sites offer areas of pristine, scenic beauty, natural wonders, and historical significance as well as recreational enjoyment. Hiking and rock climbing can be enjoyed here and in areas such as Spruce Knob, the state’s highest point at 4,863 feet, located in the gorgeous, rugged Seneca Rocks region overlooking the North Fork River. Or you can try the New River Gorge National Recreation Area, with its 1,500 climbing routes in a 10-mile stretch.  For caving enthusiasts, more than 500 caves have been explored and catalogued in the state, and countless more await their first human visitors. Five commercial caverns, including Smoke Hole, Seneca, and Lost World Caverns, provide guided tours, and several spelunking organizations sponsor monthly excursions.



The world-famous Greenbrier Resort is tucked away among the Allegheny Mountains in White Sulphur Springs. It offers three championship 18-hole golf courses, a 65,000 square foot golf academy staffed by six PGA and LPGA professionals, fine shopping, a full-service salon and spa, and a wide range of other outdoor and leisure activities for the entire family. Each year, The Greenbrier hosts The Sam Snead Festival Pro-Am. Golfers who have played at The Greenbrier include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nick Faldo and Tom Watson, just to name a few. Also recognized by many for its delicious and elegant cuisine, the Greenbrier’s Executive Chef, Peter Timmins, has earned the prestigious title of Certified Master Chef and is one of only 59 master chefs in the world. The Resort also hosts the world-renowned LaVarenne Cooking School for a series of week-long programs in the early spring—last year’s guest chefs included Julia Child and Martin Yan—and from mid-May through the end of October, there are daily cooking classes for adults.