General Business Profile

Nearly 10,000 area residents work for chemical companies. DuPont has a large plant on the Ohio River near Parkersburg. It produces a wide variety of plastics. Nearby is GE Plastics, the world’s largest manufacturer of ABS engineering hermoplastics.

A number of other chemical companies are located within a 60-mile radius of Parkersburg. For many years, metalworking plants have operated in this area and
today more than 2,000 people are in this industry. Ames Company, a division of McDonough Corp., was founded in Parkersburg in 1774. Its nearly 1,000 employees produce shovels and other garden and farm tools. Dover Parkersburg manufactures furnace pipes and fabricates structural steel items for construction. Walker Systems in Williamstown makes pre-engineered metal buildings.

Three nationally known glass plants in the Mid-Ohio Valley employ more than 1,000 people. Products include glass fiber, laboratory ware, and decorative glassware. Fenton Art Glass in Williamstown, where glass is blown and handworked, is a popular stop for tourists.

An ample labor supply and many desirable industrial sites are attracting additional investment to the area. Numerous industrial sites of various sizes exist in Parkersburg and nearby areas. Most have municipal services, such as water, sewerage, electricity, natural gas, and fire and police protection.

Several suburban Ohio River frontage sites have up to hundreds of acres with rail, highway, electric power, natural gas, and ample processing water. A number of these properties are controlled by an agreement with the owners that the Chamber of Commerce or the Development Corporation will have first refusal for industrial purposes. In some cases, a price has been predetermined.

Wood County Airport Industrial Park, eight miles northeast of Parkersburg, offers 60 acres of leveled land, sub-divided into 30 sites with utilities and paved roads. Sites vary in size from one to two-and-a-half acres, and a few are still available.

The Mid-Ohio Valley offers new developers warehouse facilities, office spaces and storefronts. Local capital is available for industrial construction.

The area’s labor force is stable with low turnover, and wage rates compare favorably with other sections of the country. The labor climate is positive with almost no incidents of extended work stoppages of local origin. No economic barrier exists between Ohio and West Virginia, thus expanding the recruitment area
for workers.

The West Virginia Department of Employment Security in Parkersburg provides a number of services, including test selection of applicants, recruitment, training program information, and reliable labor data.

Growth of small business is encouraged. The Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center of West Virginia University - Parkersburg bolster new and existing companies by providing recognition, information and guidance.