Preston County News
News Articles

The workforce in Preston County, WV, often comes from a farming and forestry background - meaning they know how to put in a full day’s work and are incredibly loyal. What characteristics do you look for in an employee? If honesty, loyalty, and hard-working describe your ideal, Preston County, WV,...

Are the Utilities Good in Preston County, WV?
May 15 2023“Are the utilities good in Preston County, WV?” That’s a question business owners ask the PCEDA regularly. If you’re unfamiliar with West Virginia, there can be a misconception regarding what is available here. The good news is that not only is Preston County close to major metropolitan areas on the...

When one thinks of West Virginia, many things are likely to come to mind: natural beauty, John Denver, coal, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, poverty, opioids, state pride, and so on. What isn’t likely to make a top 10 list is cities, or perhaps more accurately, towns. West Virginia is the...

PCEDA identifies incentives for businesses in Preston County, WV. We are the go-to source in the county for information on financial and tax incentives, both at the local, state, and federal levels.
PCEDA focuses on the expansion and retention of businesses. To that end, our network of partners, organizations,...

State celebrating business record
May 2 2023The state of West Virginia now has a total of 155,442 registered businesses that are active and registered in the Mountain State. According to WV Secretary of State Mac Warner, that’s the highest number of registered businesses ever recorded in West Virginia.
Read the complete article here.

A new study has dubbed West Virginia as the best state for first-time homebuyers to make the first steps toward owning their own home.
Researchers with Moneywise conducted a study to find which states had the lowest average down payment based on data from the National Association of Realtors...

Preston County Economic Development provides no-cost assistance to businesses looking to grow in Preston County, WV. We recognize that each business is unique and want to learn about your specific needs so we can come up with a solution. This may include bringing our partners to the table to provide...

W.Va. delegation opens state office in Taiwan
Apr 28 2023The sound of “Country Roads” played half a world away in Taiwan, where state leaders and lawmakers cut the ribbon this week on West Virginia’s Taiwan Office.
West Virginia Economic Development Sec. Mitch Carmichael spoke with WSAZ NewsChannel 3 from Taiwan on Friday.
Read here for the complete...

Financial assistance for businesses in Preston County, WV is available through PCEDA. We serve as a backbone of support for small, medium, and large companies in Preston County. We work hard for companies by researching the available grants, loans, and tax credits to ensure you have the financial resources to...

Country Road Angel Network continues to celebrate its mission of fostering West Virginia entrepreneurism. Members met in Wheeling Monday evening to review their successes, get updates on ventures they've worked with and hear a couple new pitches.
CRAN — for short — was formed in 2019 to provide early...

USDA Announces Ranking as “Most Improved” Agency in the 2022 Best Place to Work Rankings
Apr 12 2023The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it has received the recognition for being “Most Improved” for very large Federal agencies in the Partnership for Public Service’s 2022 Best Places to Work Rankings. This continues USDA’s path of steady improvement towards becoming a Great Place to Work for...

West Virginia exports increase by over 20 percent, state delivers second-largest amount of coal in US
Apr 12 2023Gov. Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia's export market grew for the third consecutive year in 2022 to a value of $7.6 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's recent trade statistics. This marks a 20% increase over 2021, with an additional $1.4 billion in exports.
“Our continued...

NewForce Offers Fully-Remote, Tuition-Free Coding School with Need-Based Living Stipend for West Virginians
Apr 11 2023Generation West Virginia is accepting applications for its eighth cohort of NewForce, a six-month, fully-remote, tuition-free coding school run in partnership with Mountwest Community & Technical College. Generation West Virginia will continue to offer a need-based living stipend of $11/hour for eligible students during the duration of the program. ...

Generation WV has officially opened applications for the latest edition of its NewForce program, per a post from the organization’s Facebook page.
Generation WV describes its NewForce program as a “six-month, fully remote, tuition-free coding school.” The purpose of the program is to train West Virginians that have no...

Why Economic Development Organizations Need a Staff Page with Public Contact Information
Apr 10 2023Economic development organizations (EDOs) are vital in attracting businesses to their respective communities, assisting new and existing businesses, and supporting the overall growth of their regions. In today's digital age, having a dedicated staff page with contact information for each team member is essential for EDOs to effectively communicate and...

The 29-year-old actor stared at his bank account statement. He had only $106 left to his name. His acting career was going nowhere. He couldn’t afford the rent on his cheap Hollywood apartment. He even tried to sell his dog because he didn’t have enough money to buy dog food.
Read...

With the Mountain State as its backdrop the skateboard film 'Rhododendron,' cleverly named after West Virginia's state flower, features many local skateboarders, highlighting their skills.
Read the complete article here.

As part of its goal of investing in rural America, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing today that $33.7 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund projects to strengthen the wood products economy and promote sustainable forest management. This investment supports a crucial link between resilient, healthy forests and...

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that major improvements are coming to Coopers Rock State Forest.
During the announcement, Justice said that the improvements will include 25 new campsites, a new pedestrian bridge to the main overlook which will replace the one that was closed last month, and new...

Business retention and expansion (BR&E) programs have become a large priority in a post-COVID world. Ensuring that local businesses have the foundation in place to weather economic shifts and potential disasters should be top-of-mind as we continue coming out of COVID and face economic and trade uncertainties. Fortunately, there are...

Arthurdale Heritage held its annual maple syrup demonstration on Friday, bringing history to life.
Arthurdale Heritage is a nonprofit organization that holds pride in preserving the community of Arthurdale, the nation’s first New Deal Homestead created by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The maple syrup demonstration consisted of burning down...

Gov. Jim signed House Bill 3036 into law Thursday, expanding the BUILD WV program.
The bill increases the incentives offered through the Better United In Long-term Development WV Program, which is intended to promote development of residential housing properties.
Read the complete article from West Virginia News here. ...

Look for these species of wildlife in spring
Mar 29 2023Spring brings an increase of wildlife activity to West Virginia, and West Virginia state parks and forests are a great place to look for them. Keep an eye out for these critters as you trek through woods and fields:
The spring peeper chorus is often one of the first...

A group of state legislative and education leaders will soon embark on another national economic development tour. The ChooseWV program tells West Virginia’s story directly to those who can make a major job and industry impact.
Last summer, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Brad Smith,...