CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice traveled to New York City today to continue his efforts to shine a national spotlight on West Virginia’s #1-ranked GDP growth rate in America.
The Governor made appearances on several television and radio programs, broadcasted nationwide, to tell West Virginia’s story and to inform business leaders and the public that West Virginia is becoming one of the fastest-growing places in the country to live and work.
“It’s doing better now than it’s ever done in the history of the state,” Gov. Justice said of West Virginia’s growing economy. “We’re first in GDP, we’re first in personal income growth in the last quarter, we had a surplus in 2019 that was an all-time historic of all-time.
“When I walked in the door, we were bankrupt, I mean that’s all there is to it,” Gov. Justice continued. “And we have turned the state in a direction, in an all-encompassing [way], whether it be tourism or roads or education.”
The Governor also made a stop this morning on the CNBC show, Squawk Box, discussing the industries that have helped West Virginia turn a fiscal corner.
“Our mining industry has bounced back, there’s no question about that, and President Trump has been a big contributor there,” Gov. Justice said. “The export thermal market was a big contributor, the metallurgical and the steel market has been a big contributor, we have great metallurgical coals in West Virginia.
“But we have to have an all-in approach in West Virginia,” Gov. Justice continued. “Our tourism is booming, manufacturing is booming, you know, we’re building roads like crazy…we have a real-life commitment to education and things are happening all because it’s all-in.”
Gov. Justice wrapped up the media tour by hitting the radio airwaves for the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio to promote all the reasons to visit, work, and live in the Mountain State.
“What I’m hoping to do is to just let the world know that West Virginia is an incredible place, that’s all there is to it,” Gov. Justice said. “We’ve got four incredible seasons, it’s a natural resource state, but our [best] resources are our people.
“I’m recruiting, we’ve got an incredible amount of jobs and everything, you can live in paradise and have an incredible job, we want you in West Virginia.”