Advantage Valley has a Healthy Appetite for Food and Beverage Production

The Advantage Valley region is especially well-suited for companies involved in any aspect of food and beverage production. A key to local food and beverage success is the region’s abundant resources, from the nearly endless supply of fresh water from its six rivers to West Virginia’s more than 3.5 million acres of farmland (including extensive production of hay, apples, corn, soybeans, poultry, and beef). There’s also a commercial-scale tomato growing operation providing raw products for distribution and value-added production. That’s why it’s no surprise that leading food and beverage companies like Tasty Blend, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Tyler Mountain Water & Coffee, and JQ Dickinson Saltworks have found a home here.

Advantage Valley’s labor shed includes 617,000 people, and West Virginia is home to more workers with food and beverage experience. Those workers and their employers benefit from workforce-focused programs at local colleges and universities, including classes in advanced manufacturing, ecology, plant biology, specialty agriculture, agribusiness management, animal and food science, horticulture, and chemical engineering.