West Virginia Coverage Area
Service Centers
| Alpha | Number | City | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRW | 252 | Nitro | (304) 755-2793 |
| FMT | 255 | Fairmont | (304) 366-5088 |
ArcBest® offers a full suite of transportation and logistics services — making it easy to get your shipments where and when you need them. Contact us for information about our comprehensive supply chain services available for shipping freight to and from West Virginia.
Business Advantages
West Virginia offers several advantages for businesses that choose to establish there. The state is near several large Canadian cities, and nearly half of the U.S. population can be reached within a day’s drive. Along with a strong workforce and a fiscally responsible state government, West Virginia offers:
- Business costs 13 percent below the national average
- Programs like the Governor’s Guaranteed Workforce Program that provide funds to help businesses train their employees
- No business franchise tax
It’s because of these business advantages that a variety of business sectors have found success in the state.
Top Three Industries
Everything from food processing to biotech engineering brings revenue, but the key industries in West Virginia are aerospace, manufacturing and energy.
Aerospace
The aerospace industry is successful largely due to the state’s location. West Virginia is near the country’s national defense sector as well as several aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Also, several higher-education institutions such as the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center provide the training and resources the state needs to develop a strong aerospace workforce.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing provides employment to more than 46,600 West Virginians (or more than 6.4 percent of the state’s workforce). In 2017, the total output from manufacturing was $7.6 billion — accounting for 10.2 percent of the state’s total economic output. Top manufacturing products are chemical products, petroleum and coal products, primary metals and automotive parts.
Energy
Several natural gas reserves are in West Virginia, and it’s a key location for energy production. The state ranked fourth among all U.S. states for total energy production in 2015, and it accounted for nearly 5 percent of the nation’s energy output. West Virginia is also one of the largest producers of coal and natural gas in the country. According to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, it was one of the first states in the region to establish a drilling regulatory framework, setting clear rules to protect the interests of the environment, landowners and industry.
West Virginia’s Transportation System
When businesses need to ship freight from or to West Virginia, they have multiple options. About 2,400 miles of freight railroad track offers shippers a cost-effective way to transport bulk freight, and the river terminals that link West Virginia to ports on the Great Lakes, Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are another solution. Six interstates, thousands of miles of state and public roads and multiple airports offer other opportunities to get shipments into, out of and within the state.