The 50-mile labor shed surrounding our area is home to more than 360,000 workers whose commitment to hard work is instilled at an early age, with Cabell County Schools beginning career literacy in the elementary grades. Career-focused education continues as students age, with local high schools and the Cabell County Career Technology Center delivers the technical and soft skills employers need.

At the postsecondary level, highly regarded Marshall University offers degree programs in mechanical engineering, health and safety, business, IT, and 80 other fields. Mountwest Community and Technical College offers more than 50 one-year certificate and associate degree programs in key areas like electronics technology, machinist/CNC, welding, management technology, and business.

The Cabell County Career Technology Center also provides continuing education for adults and customized training to meet employers’ specific needs.

Huntington’s well-engineered interstate and highway network delivers single-day truck access to much of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Ontario. I-64 runs through the heart of Huntington and provides direct routes to St. Louis, Louisville, Lexington, and Virginia’s tidewater ports. Our three interstate-grade highways provide fast local connections. Tri-State Airport (KHTS) is West Virginia’s only FedEx 757 hub, thanks to its 7,017-foot (2,139 m) runway. There’s nonstop passenger service to Orlando, Tampa/St. Pete, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach, and Charlotte. Inbound and outbound rail shipments have mainline service from both CSX and Norfolk Southern, plus there’s Amtrak’s New York-to-Chicago Cardinal. If you need even bigger capacity, the Port of Huntington Tri-State handles more than 80 million tons of fossil fuels, raw materials, and chemical liquid, dry, and break-bulk loads. Virginia’s two tidewater ports are less than a day away by truck or rail.

Local utility providers offer low rates thanks to abundant supplies and a collaborative attitude. For example, our area’s electric rates are nearly a third below the national average. There’s no shortage of natural gas and fresh water, as well as plenty of bandwidth for data needs.