PARSONS – Tucker County is a great place to live and run a business, and recent statistics from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office affirm that fact. In September, Tucker County had the largest percentage growth in the number of businesses, and it ranks fifth in the state so far in 2014.
“The Business Industry Growth Map proves that Tucker County, like all of West Virginia, is a great place to own a business,” Tennant said. “In the month of September, Tucker County had the biggest percentage growth in the number of businesses. It isn’t hard to imagine why, with places like Parsons, Thomas and Davis offering all sorts of shops and restaurants. Tucker County also has breathtaking scenery and outdoor activities at Canaan Valley and Blackwater Falls. Tucker County may not have the most businesses of any county in West Virginia but the economy is staying strong because small businesses are thriving and employing local workers.”
Every year, companies file reports with the Secretary of State Office telling the name of the company, where they are operating and who the officers of the company are. The data tells how many businesses are operating and where. The office used the data to make a Business Industry Growth Map that shows how many businesses are opening and how many closed.
Tennant’s office said Tucker County businesses grew by 1.94 percent – the highest growth in the state for September. There were six new businesses in September, and no businesses closed. While Tucker County did not have the most new businesses, but the six new businesses had the most impact in the state.
So far this year, there are 33 new businesses in Tucker County which account for its rank as number five for the year. That accounts for a 9.5 percent growth in the county.
Tucker County Development Authority Director Anne Jones said the news was pretty exciting stuff.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Jones said. “But this is not an overnight success story. It is the result of a number of years working on a number of things and that is what makes it so exciting.”
Jones said the business come from a lot of different backgrounds.
“Some of them are businesses where folks had a business and decided Tucker County was a great place to open a business,” Jones said. “Some businesses come from folks who had a hobby and decided to turn it into a business. The Small Business Development Center has been huge in helping people make that choice.”
Jones said the Small Business Development Center has been giving classes on how to get a business started and others for the past few years.
“Some people who are starting businesses took those classes,” Jones said. “This growth is the result of a lot of different things like this.”
Jones said lots of things attract people and businesses to the area.
“I think success breeds success,” Jones said. “People are seeing that other businesses are successful and thriving and so they want to come in and be part of a winning team. People are hearing about Tucker County in Charleston and in Washington, D.C.”
Jones points to infrastructure and the work toward completion of Corridor H as another item attracting folks to the area.
“Frontier has been working hard to improve their internet speeds and we have Atlantic Broadband,” Jones said. “With more players in the mix, it’s more likely that businesses can do what they need to do online. Good roads and internet are huge.”
Lastly, Jones said access to capital and resources is another reason businesses are choosing to begin in Tucker County.
“The Small Business Development Center and Woodlands Community Lenders have been working directly with businesses and partnering with local lending institutions to allow small business to get access to the capital that was formerly a challenge,” Jones said.
“When you look at groups like Parsons ONTRAC, Davis Renaissance and New Historic Thomas, they are also reasons folks are choosing to move to Tucker County,” Jones said. “The emphasis on arts with groups like ArtSpring also inspires folks to locate in Tucker, as well as being named an Arts Cultural District, also contribute to new businesses.”
Jones said Tucker County is becoming known as a place that is creative, exciting and beautiful.
“Those are things that are very hard to compete with,” Jones said. “We, in Tucker County, are in a great place.”
Information about the Business Industry Growth Map is available online at www.wvsos.com or by calling the Secretary of State Office at 304-558-6000.
