Preston County Sites Are Affordable & Centrally Located
Businesses looking to relocate or expand find Preston County has a number of historical advantages. A healthy supply of available vacant sites, existing buildings and vibrant industrial parks are located throughout the county, all at refreshingly affordable rates compared to surrounding areas. Most have state-of-the-art infrastructure already installed or nearby, requiring minor installation steps.
Preston County Sites & Buildings Are Affordable: Cut the Red Tape by Locating Here
All of Preston County’s featured properties are located in close proximity to transportation options that help local businesses reach major East Coast markets in a matter of hours. Further destinations throughout North America are accessible via the world-class highway, rail, air and sea transportation available within the county or nearby. Plus, if you build here, you won't even need a permit!
Finally, existing Preston County businesses in industries such as forest products and government services have benefited from tremendous support from local and state resources, resulting in a high level of dedication with less regulation and fewer taxes. Businesses in a range of industries, such as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism will find this support equally conducive to achieving their goals.
The combination of these advantages means growing a business is a whole lot easier in Preston County - contact us today to learn how that can be true for you!
Develop in Preston County and breathe easier!
Nestled in north central West Virginia just east of Morgantown in the Morgantown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Preston County offers a number of significant advantages not found elsewhere. Access to major East Coast markets is well within reach at a fraction of the price found in more urban areas. Combined with a supportive community and diverse industry base, Preston County is situated perfectly for your business to achieve success.
Access to major markets is perhaps the single greatest advantage businesses and residents of Preston County depend on. Interstate 68 passes through the northern section of the county, offering access to Morgantown to the West in 30 minutes and Cumberland, MD to the East. Travelers and freight can reach Pittsburgh in two hours, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Columbus, and Cleveland in three to four hours. That places Preston County within 500 miles of two-thirds of the American and one-third of the Canadian industrial and consumer markets.
Another vital advantage is the supportive community present in Preston County. Businesses can breathe easier with less red tape and fewer overall regulations. For example, Preston County has no zoning, planning, or building code restrictions. Many of the towns within Preston County do have zoning requirements or require a business license to operate there, but the cost of those licenses often are as low as $20.
Preston County, WV Data
Located in north central West Virginia and bordering Maryland and Pennsylvania, Preston County is a beautiful place to live and work. Its picturesque, rural setting is only a short distance to several major metropolitan areas. Preston County is included in the Morgantown Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes a labor force averaging more than 70,000 persons and an unemployment rate under 4.5% in 2021. As such, businesses located in Preston County have a significant labor force available to them.
Preston County’s vibrant landscape, business-friendly attitudes, and proximity to major markets make it an ideal location for a variety of businesses. With a long history of experience in industries such as forestry and agriculture, Preston County has developed a workforce that values hard work and loyalty. With fewer government regulations and the proximity to the more urban Morgantown area, Preston County is primed for business success across a broad spectrum of industries.
Target Industries
Preston County has over 1,000 family farms and a strong livestock industry. The last West Virginia Census of Agriculture, performed in 2017, reported Preston County as the ninth-largest livestock producer in the state. Preston is the top county in hog and pig production. That makes it easier for residents and businesses to purchase their food or ingredients locally. As a result, the trend toward healthy eating has an excellent base in Preston County. Businesses seeking to capitalize on the growing farm-to-table movement and craft brewing trends will find the necessary resources in the region. An example of the agribusiness possibilities are evident with the locally owned businesses involved with the Preston County Farm Crawl, which occurs each summer and allows participants to experience a myriad of sustainable, natural products.
Local farmers work together with area experts, such as the West Virginia Extension Service and Northeast SARE, to ensure those resources are here to stay. This video on Aurora’s Snowy Creek Dorsets is an excellent example of collaboration. Another example is the West Virginia Voluntary Farmland Protection Act, passed in 2000 to protect agricultural lands and provide sustainable sources of agricultural products and tourism for the state's citizens.
West Virginia is the third most heavily forested state in the U.S., with 98% of that land available for timber production. The West Virginia wood products industry generates $3.2 billion annually and provides more than 30,000 jobs, according to the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
Preston County sits in the heart of West Virginia's hardwood region, offering distinct advantages for businesses in the wood products industries. The West Virginia Hardwood Alliance Zone assists businesses with relocation, expansion and development services. PCEDA itself actively works with new and existing businesses in achieving their goals. One example is the assistance PCEDA provided Allegheny Wood Products to obtain financing for a $5.0 million expansion at less than 5.0% interest. Another is a $500,000 forgivable loan to extend natural gas to the Allegheny Wood Products Hazelton facility to allow for increased capacity in their dry kilns.
Preston County’s wood products industry workforce is unmatched throughout the U.S. due to its historical experience and unparalleled specific training opportunities. The West Virginia Wood Technology Center is an internationally-renowned hardwoods technology training center located just to the south of Preston County in the City of Elkins. Its location is less than two hours from the Northpointe Business & Industry Park, allowing park tenants access to numerous safety training opportunities and forest management expertise. The Center provides a variety of customized training programs for the wood industry and is equipped with the latest technology and wood production machinery. The Center also offers an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree in Wood Production and a broad curriculum of classroom training and hands-on instruction. The Appalachian Hardwood Center at West Virginia University provides technical and research support.
Preston County is home to two major government facilities. Camp Dawson is a West Virginia Army National Guard facility located along the Cheat River. The site is used to provide realistic training opportunities to develop various unit readiness for wartime missions. It is also home to the Camp Dawson Event Center, a state-of-the-art government hotel and conference facility, the largest of its kind in West Virginia.
Preston County is also home to USP Hazelton, a Federal Correctional Center which includes a male facility, security female facility and a minimum-security satellite prison camp. Together, they house a population of more than 3,800 inmates.
Preston County offers unique properties at affordable prices for manufacturing businesses that typically require locations with large areas separated from residential users. An excellent example is Blue Ridge Fibers in Reedsville, a worldwide leader in HVAC filtration, paint arrestors and specialty fiberglass applications.
West Virginia’s oil and gas industry is nearly as old as the United States itself. A thriving commercial oil industry was in process as early as 1819 with the first major wells drilled at Petroleum in 1859 and Burning Springs in 1860. Natural gas was moved in wooden pipes from wells to be used as a manufacturing heat source by the Kanawha salt manufacturers as early as 1831. These events truly mark the beginnings of the oil and gas industry in the United States.
Today, Preston County has a reliable oil and gas industry. A summary of the industry, including activity statistics and production trends, can be found here. In addition, the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia and Appalachian Oil Purchasers provide services and resources for area businesses.
West Virginia is heralded for its outdoor recreation, having a higher concentration of assets here than many more familiar national outdoor recreation areas, and nowhere is that more evident than in Preston County. Whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking and hunting abound in the hills and forests of the area, each offering opportunity for businesses to capitalize on tourism-related businesses. Given the rising importance of place-based assets in motivating workers to locate and stay in communities, this industry sector is also increasingly relevant to the region’s talent attraction and retention efforts.
Located in the heart of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, the region is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with acres of parks, trails, lakes and rivers. Whitewater rafting is nationally-known in Preston County, with nearly 80 miles of free-flowing water on the Cheat River, giving all levels of paddlers the ability to relax on flatwater or test their abilities on Class III, IV and V whitewater rapids. Coopers Rock State Forest offers 13,000 acres of forest to experience, the largest forest in West Virginia. Outdoor recreation there includes 50 miles of biking and hiking trails, rock climbing, cross country skiing, fishing, hunting, camping and more, all in a pristine and uncrowded environment, far from the crowds of other East Coast venues.
Preston County has a number of infrastructure advantages that help position businesses for success. The benefits businesses find when locating in Preston County are described below.
Transportation
Businesses and residents of Preston County are a short drive from two airports. The Morgantown Municipal Airport offers daily service to Washington Dulles Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport via Southern Airways Express. The airline has partnerships with both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, allowing passengers and freight from Preston County to reach anywhere those two major airlines fly. The North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport has the longest commercial service runway in West Virginia at 7,800 feet. Major carriers serving the airport include Allegiant and United Express, offering connectivity to international hubs around the country.
Local businesses requiring rail options will find immediate and dependable service from CSX Transportation. CSX is a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation in North America and serves the I-68 corridor with access running through the southern portion of Preston County.
Highway, rail and air transport from Preston County lead to another world-class transportation option at the Port of Baltimore, which handled 43 million tons of international cargo in 2019, according to the State of Maryland. It was ranked first in the nation in handling automobiles, light trucks, farm and construction machinery imported sugar and gypsum and second in exporting coal. Local businesses can get their products on their way to Canada, Mexico and beyond in short order.
Utilities
Mon Power is Preston County’s electricity provider. As a FirstEnergy Company, Mon Power was named in 2021 as one of the nation’s leading utilities for promoting economic development by Site Selection Magazine for the third year in a row. Natural gas is provided in Preston County by Cardinal Natural Gas, a Utility Pipeline company, and Mountaineer Gas. Most water and wastewater services are provided by organizations like Preston County PSD1, Preston County PSD4 and various local-level authorities.
Broadband
The broadband access and coverage in Preston County is excellent, especially considering the area’s mountainous and rural nature, allowing residents the ability to work remotely and experience an extremely high quality of life. The West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council has other information regarding broadband availability, projects and more.
Download the Broadband Map of Preston County
Local businesses know West Virginia provides a positive tax environment!
Businesses operating in Preston County benefit from a favorable tax environment. In 2023, The Tax Foundation ranked West Virginia as the 20th best state business climate and 16th best Corporate Tax Rate. Contributing factors include the tenth best property tax level, a 6.5% corporate income tax rate and a 6.0% sales tax.
PCEDA can help existing and relocating businesses access the range of tax credits available to them and their operations. The Department of Economic Development has a complete list of tax credits present in West Virginia. Some of these tax credits include:
Corporate Headquarters Credit
Companies that relocate their corporate headquarters to West Virginia can receive tax credits offsetting several tax liabilities for up to 13 years.
High-Tech Manufacturing Credit
Businesses that manufacture various high technology equipment can receive a credit to offset 100% of corporate net income tax and personal income tax for 20 years.
High Technology Valuation Act
In West Virginia, certain personal property used in a high technology business is only valued at 5% of its original cost for property tax purposes and sales tax is eliminated on purchases of that property.