# West Virginia Development Office

West Virginia Development Office is a Government / Public Body based in Charleston, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Government / Public Body
- **Headquarters:** Charleston, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Charleston, WV, United States
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.wvdo.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-west-virginia-workforce-west-virginia

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The West Virginia Development Office is based in Charleston, West Virginia. It provides services including business incentives, workforce development programs, expedited permitting, and support for small businesses and export assistance. The office focuses on industries such as aerospace, automotive, chemical, energy, and technology.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Infrastructure
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Industrial Tech
- Private Credit

## People

- Mitch Carmichael — Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development
- Jim Justice — Governor of West Virginia

## Questions

### How does the West Virginia Development Office deploy capital?

The office routes deployment through two legally distinct vehicles: the West Virginia Economic Development Authority provides low-interest loans and tax-exempt bond financing for large industrial projects, while the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust makes direct equity investments in early-stage companies. This structure allows the state to participate across debt and equity simultaneously on a single project.

### What real estate assets does the Development Office control?

The office manages a portfolio of developed industrial and commercial sites. Key properties include the Heartland Intermodal Gateway in Prichard, which offers rail-to-truck container transfer; the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston; the Northgate Business Park in Charleston; and the I-77 Business Park in Jackson County.

### Who makes the final call on incentive packages and investment deals?

Governor Jim Justice oversees the Department of Economic Development as the state's chief executive. Secretary Mitch Carmichael runs day-to-day operations. Major financing commitments through WVEDA and WVJIT require board or state-level approval, giving the governor's office substantial influence over large-scale economic development transactions.

### How does the office attract foreign direct investment?

The Development Office is a regular participant in the SelectUSA program, the federal government's foreign direct investment attraction initiative. The office also maintains membership in the Southern Economic Development Council, using both platforms to source international companies seeking a US manufacturing or logistics foothold.

### What separates the Development Office from a typical state commerce department?

Most state economic development agencies focus on grants and tax credits. West Virginia's office additionally owns industrial real estate outright and operates a public venture capital fund. This means the state can negotiate as a landlord, lender, and equity investor in the same transaction — a hybrid posture that shortens deal timelines and gives the state direct financial exposure to project outcomes.

### What sectors does the Development Office prioritize?

Public record and site inventory indicate heavy weighting toward manufacturing, logistics, energy, and industrial technology. The Heartland Intermodal Gateway signals a concentrated push into transportation and distribution infrastructure. The technology park in South Charleston and the Jobs Investment Trust's venture mandates expand the focus into early-stage tech, particularly firms that can leverage the region's industrial base.

## Related profiles

- [West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Retirement System](https://altss.com/profile/west-virginia-deputy-sheriff-retirement-system)
- [West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System](https://altss.com/profile/west-virginia-emergency-medical-services-retirement-system)

---

Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/west-virginia-development-office

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology