by Del. Daniel Linville
“Those manufacturing jobs are gone, and they’re never coming back.”
I’ve heard this from naysayers time and again. I don’t blame those who’ve said this, or even those who thought it but would never let such a statement leave their lips. Who could blame them? Our economy has had a rough stretch over the past few decades. As manufacturing had been outsourced and some of our major industries had declined, it’s been easy to be pessimistic. That ended this week.
Today, we see those jobs are coming back. With the announcement that Nucor will be building a new, multi-billion-dollar steel manufacturing facility in Apple Grove, thousands of families will be able to depend on good-paying construction jobs. Hundreds of families will be able to depend upon strong wages and benefits: careers. Not just jobs — careers. Thousands of our young, best, and brightest will have a real opportunity to stay right here at home as they begin to raise their families.
How have we managed to position ourselves for the largest single investment in our state’s history? While there will be many different answers to this question, depending upon whom you ask, I think you’ll find at least one common theme: we’ve focused on infrastructure development and we’ve worked to provide entrepreneurs, job creators, and as many everyday West Virginians as possible with the tools that almost no individual or company can provide on their own. I’m talking about roads, ports, a modernized and reliable electric grid and broadband internet infrastructure.
Now is the time to double down on our investment in infrastructure. We now have the demand — and the opportunity — to bring these jobs, major downstream development, suppliers, vendors, customers and so much more to Almost Heaven. And now we must reinvest in the infrastructure that this employer, these vendors, customers, and their employees and families will need to thrive.
It’s really a no-brainer. Our investments here will pay tremendous dividends. Not only will they be repaid in tax revenue in a very short time, but the benefits of these investments will impact nearly every aspect of the region and our state: schools, population growth, electricity costs, safer roads, ports and internet. The state, overall, will see tax revenue growth, additional opportunity for our residents and money flowing through our economy and up and down the Ohio River.
While we do this, we will continue to insist our additional infrastructure investments to support this new economic engine happen only after we see the investment from Nucor. As President Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify.” We’ll do just that.
My colleagues and I in the House of Delegates, along with our counterparts in the State Senate, will work together along with the governor, the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development to make sure that this opportunity is realized. We will be joined by countless vendors, educational institutions, contractors, construction workers, tradesmen and more all “pulling the rope in the same direction.” We will commit ourselves to setting an example for all the opportunities that come to our beautiful state after this: West Virginia is a great place to invest, employ, live, work and raise a family.
When I sit down and talk with folks at a local diner and I hear stories of families who have had their children move away from the Mountain State, it’s almost always to find work. It’s not just about any ordinary job. We need better jobs, with bigger paychecks. This opportunity provides just that. West Virginia’s best days are ahead of us.
Those jobs were gone. Now, they’re coming back.
