BECKLEY, W.Va. — Five years after the redesignation of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, southern West Virginia is entering a new phase of growth. While millions of visitors now know the region for its whitewater rivers, scenic overlooks, climbing cliffs, and mountain trails, local leaders are increasingly focused on turning that national attention into long-term economic opportunity.
A new 2025 Regional Impact Report released by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) outlines a year of business recruitment, infrastructure investment, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and manufacturing initiatives aimed at building a more diversified economy across Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers counties.
Allison Rae Taylor, chairperson of the authority’s board, underscored the strength inherent in pooling the resources of the four counties surrounding the national park.
“Each project the authority undertakes has the potential to create economic benefits throughout the region,” Taylor said. “By pooling the resources of four southern West Virginia counties and setting strategic priorities, we can pursue opportunities that create greater growth for participating and neighboring communities.”
The report’s largest announcement was Amazon’s decision to construct a $42 million facility on a 44-acre site in Raleigh County. The project is expected to create approximately 100 jobs and generate additional economic activity among suppliers, contractors, and supporting businesses.
Regional development efforts extended well beyond that single investment. During 2025, the authority reported securing $8.65 million for infrastructure improvements, preparing 188 acres of development-ready property, marketing more than 100 commercial sites, and responding to multiple business location inquiries as companies evaluated southern West Virginia for future expansion.
Building an economy beyond tourism
The New River Gorge has become one of the country’s fastest-growing outdoor recreation destinations since receiving national park status. Regional leaders say the challenge now is ensuring that increased visitation translates into permanent jobs, stronger communities, and broader economic opportunity.
That strategy is reflected in projects ranging from industrial development to entrepreneurship and advanced manufacturing.
Among the most distinctive initiatives is PATTERN (Planning and Accelerating Textile Technology and Entrepreneurship Regional Network), which is establishing a cut-and-sew manufacturing center in Beckley. Supported by federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the initiative aims to help businesses produce high-quality outdoor apparel, equipment, and sewn goods locally.
Rather than competing in mass-market manufacturing, Taylor said the program seeks to support specialized outdoor products that complement one of the nation’s premier recreation destinations.
Supporting local entrepreneurs
The authority’s entrepreneurship program, the West Virginia Hive, continued expanding assistance to small businesses throughout southern West Virginia.
According to the report, the program served 107 businesses during 2025, helped launch 20 new companies, conducted 14 business training sessions, and provided nearly $60,000 in technical assistance for services such as legal guidance, website development, marketing, and social media.
Businesses celebrating openings or expansions during the year included ventures in Fayetteville, Mount Hope, Beaver, Princeton, Ronceverte, and White Sulphur Springs, reflecting continued investment by local entrepreneurs serving both residents and visitors.
Investing in regional infrastructure
Transportation improvements also figured prominently in the year’s accomplishments, Taylor said.
A federally funded $1.3 million expansion of the passenger terminal at Raleigh County Memorial Airport will more than double post-security seating capacity, improving the passenger experience while positioning the airport to accommodate growing demand for commercial air service.
The report also highlights continued work on housing, childcare, workforce development, land reuse, infrastructure, and legislative advocacy, recognizing that long-term economic growth depends on creating communities where businesses and workers can succeed.
The region’s next chapter
For generations, southern West Virginia’s economy was defined by coal mining, railroads, timber, and manufacturing. Today, outdoor recreation has become one of its strongest economic drivers, attracting visitors from across the United States to the New River Gorge and surrounding Appalachian highlands.
Taylor said regional leaders increasingly see popularity not as an end in itself, but as a foundation for broader economic growth.
The New River Gorge first gained national recognition as America’s newest national park. The investments highlighted in the development authority’s 2025 report suggest the region is now working to build something equally enduring—an economy that combines tourism, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, transportation, and community development to create new opportunities long after visitors return home.
About the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority is a multi-county economic and community development organization serving Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers counties in southern West Virginia.
Established in 1988 as the 4C Economic Development Authority to encourage regional collaboration, the organization works with local governments, businesses, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies to attract investment, improve infrastructure, support workforce development, and advance projects that strengthen the region’s long-term economy.
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