Governor Patrick Morrisey recently announced a new economic initiative called “Grow West Virginia” aimed at creating jobs and expanding opportunities for West Virginians. The Governor seeks to accomplish growth in five areas:
- Grow paychecks by reducing or eliminating taxes and fees.
- Grow jobs by helping our current businesses expand and attracting new businesses to the Mountain State.
- Grow the free market environment by cutting red tape and being the fastest permitting state in the region.
- Grow opportunities through vo-tech education programs and a focus on attracting jobs in expanding, up-and-coming fields.
- Grow labor participation by getting able-bodied West Virginians back to work.
“This is about improving the lives of West Virginians,” said Governor Morrisey. “With the Grow West Virginia initiative, we are going to have great jobs and opportunities, upward mobility, and a bright future here in the Mountain State.”
As one of the first steps of Governor Morrisey’s plan to grow jobs, he announced the formation of the West Virginia Jobs Initiative with $50 million to be used as targeted investments that fit into the state’s overall economic development plans.
Mettler Packaging was chosen as the first investment of the West Virginia Jobs Initiative with a $400,000 targeted investment in their Moorefield facility, which will retain 120 current jobs and add up to 50 new jobs.
Mettler Packaging, a subsidiary of Papier-Mettler, is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. The company first established its U.S. production facility in Moorefield in 2022 and has quickly become a major job provider in Hardy County. The company originally committed to 75 jobs within three years, and are now exceeding that goal with an additional 50 new jobs in the Mountain State when construction on the expansion begins next year.
