(Editorial – Graphic Illustration – MetroCreativeConnection)
Those who live in the Mid-Ohio Valley know how much the region has to offer in terms of capable, hard workers in good communities — surrounded by natural beauty we sometimes take for granted.
It is important we have an organization to help share that message. The Polymer Alliance Zone works on our behalf all the time, but this week had a chance to promote our region at the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026. Investors, corporate leaders, site-selection consultants and others representing companies that are actively evaluating locations were able to learn about Wood and nine other West Virginia counties.
“SelectUSA gives us the chance to have direct conversations with companies that are making real decisions about where to invest,” Keith Burdette, president of the Polymer Alliance Zone, said. “We’re able to clearly show what our region offers and how we can support their needs.”
While we do have a lot to offer, events such as the SelectUSA summit are an important reminder to those counties that investment in site readiness should continue to be a priority.
“We see ongoing interest in areas that can offer reliability, access to materials, and proximity to customers,” Burdette said. “That’s how we position our region as a good fit for these investment opportunities.”
Here’s hoping Burdette and the PAZ have plenty of leads to follow as they make their way home after the summit. In the meantime, communities and counties should be doing all they can to be as impressive as we all know we can be, when representatives of interested companies arrive to explore whether they, too, should call the Mid-Ohio Valley home.