A group of Greenbrier Valley business and government leaders met with aerospace consultants on Tuesday, August 20th to discuss the Region’s readiness to recruit and sustain aerospace businesses.

Tucson Roberts of Tucson/Atlantic Consulting and Robert Ingram of Common Sense Economic Development discussed their three month assessment of the Region including its aerospace related strengths and weaknesses, as well as a strategic competitiveness analysis. They then made specific recommendations about how the Region can improve its competitive situation and presented a marketing plan.

The Greenbrier Valley Airport with approximately eighty acres and other potential business sites available for aerospace development are one of the key elements which enhance the Region’s potential to recruit aerospace companies. Over 100 other factors were analyzed including existing workforce capabilities in the commuting area and the availability of specialized aerospace education and training locally and in the State.

Greenbrier Valley Region is home to Collins Aerospace which employees 400 employees and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.

At the conclusion of the presentation, the Greenbrier Valley Region which includes Greenbrier, Monroe and Pocahontas counties were Certified as AEROready™️. Special thanks were extended to Appalachian Electric Power for their role in the process.

The Greenbrier Valley Partnership, the marketing arm of the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation will utilize the information presented and the AEROready™️ Certification to market the Region and the Greenbrier Valley Airport to aerospace companies around the world.

J, Andrew Hagy, Executive Director, GVEDC said this is a great day and a turning point for the Greenbrier Valley Region to begin partnering with AEP to attract aerospace businesses to the region and West Virginia.

The Greenbrier Valley Region joins nineteen other communities in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio to receive the Certification.