Chemical and polymer manufacturing in West Virginia is home to nearly 150 companies that employ 12,800 workers.
The state is ranked sixth in the share of overall gross domestic product that comes from chemicals and polymers and nearly 25 percent of the state’s $4.8 billion in international exports are chemicals and polymers.
Industry presence/growth
With four of the world's largest chemical firms and other chemical manufacturers in the Chemical Alliance Zone (CAZ), West Virginia is home to one of the highest concentration of chemical manufacturers in the world.
Find one of the highest concentrations of resin producers in the world in West Virginia's Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ). PAZ has one of the highest concentrations of high-technology, specialty and engineering polymers production in the world.
Technology
West Virginia is home to numerous industry-designed academic and training programs, including:
MARCEE Project
The MARCEE project is developing an economically feasible world-class plastic recycling program in the Polymer Technology Park located in Wood County, West Virginia.
Partners include:
Find out more about MARCEE.
Other Technology
MATRIC is an emerging center of excellence for research and innovation in the disciplines of chemistry and chemical products, biotechnology and biosciences and software systems, especially in the areas of confluence between two or more of these disciplines.
Interested in learning more about MATRIC? Click here.
West Virginia Advantages
- West Virginia companies benefit from access to raw materials, specialized services, downstream customers and consumer markets
- Twenty-three percent of the nation’s chemical and polymer manufacturing plants, producing 23 percent of all products, are within 250 miles or a half-day’s trucking distance; 71% of the products, are within 500 miles
- Over 131,000 people with skills most in-demand by chemical and polymer companies, including machinery operators, chemists, engineers and related technicians
- Nation’s second-lowest employee turnover rate across all industries and lowest rate for manufacturing industries
- Third-lowest overall cost of doing business in the U.S.
- Electricity rates are one-third lower than the national U.S average.