HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today joined Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Alejandra Castillo, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the Department of Commerce, for several visits in Huntington. Today’s stops included a roundtable discussion and presentation with young talent retention leaders and program participants at Generation West Virginia, followed by an announcement of three EDA investments in West Virginia.

“When I was first elected to the Senate, West Virginia wasn’t receiving its fair share of EDA funding. I made it my mission to change that, securing an economic development representative solely focused on our state and continuing to push EDA leadership to invest. Our state continues to feel the benefits of EDA’s partnership and guidance. Today’s announcement represents EDA’s continued presence in West Virginia’s economic growth and recovery from the pandemic. These investments into our manufacturing, technology, and health care sectors will add and retain jobs and encourage growth,” Senator Capito said. “As Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I’ll continue working to shape policies that will better allow EDA to deploy funding in West Virginia.”

INVESTMENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY:

  • Advantage Valley – $1,332,000: Companies participating in the emerging markets initiative will expand manufacturing and delivery of new high quality services, create new jobs, and create new investment by enhancing their supply chain connection.
  • Generation WV – $762,350: EDA funds will be used to assist with the expansion of the new force online learning program for the training and placement into high-tech software development positions with an emphasis on remote workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Future of Nursing WV – $600,000: This project will expand the successful WV Nursing Entrepreneur Program to serve the entire state of West Virginia. It will serve up to 100 participants leading to the creation of up to 100 new businesses that could create up to 500 new jobs with a private investment of over $10,000,000 within the next four years to assist with COVID-19 recovery efforts.

BACKGROUND:

Senator Capito continues to champion EDA, which falls under the EPW Committee’s jurisdiction. After discovering that EDA investments in West Virginia were not matching the need for federal dollars to spur economic growth or focusing enough on infrastructure and workforce training, Senator Capito made it a top priority to make these concerns clear to the agency. As a result, the EDA has since hired a state representative for West Virginia to help communities structure projects. Including the three investments announced today, Senator Capito has helped increase EDA funding in West Virginia by 1,335%. In addition to their annual support of the state’s regional planning councils, EDA has awarded $97,786,957 in West Virginia projects since 2015 counting the announcements made during this event, with an annual average of $14 million per year. Funding for projects has been fairly evenly distributed across the state, with more than 48 out of 55 counties being covered by an EDA funded project during the period 2015-2020. Since enactment of the Opportunity Zone program, EDA has funded projects impacting 23 West Virginia Opportunity Zones.

More information about Senator Capito’s work with EDA can be found here.

Watch a video of Senator Capito’s vision for EDA in West Virginia here.

Photos from today’s visits are included below:

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U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) visits Generation West Virginia NewForce in Huntington, W.Va. on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. 

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U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) visits Generation West Virginia NewForce in Huntington, W.Va. on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. 

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U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in an EDA Grant Announcement Event at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington, W.Va. on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. 

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U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) participates in an EDA Grant Announcement Event at the Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington, W.Va. on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

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