It's difficult to view this week's news from Rocket Center as anything other than a setback for economic development in Mineral County.
In a letter to local businesses that use sophisticated milling machines located at the Robert C. Byrd Institute at Rocket Center, officials announced that the machines are being moved to Bridgeport, W.Va. Officially, the machines are being moved to make way for additional classroom space at Rocket Center. However, officials acknowledged that the demand for milling machines is greater in Bridgeport, thus the machines can be expected to generate more leasing revenue at the new location.
Gary Howell, a local businessman who has used the milling machines for his auto restoration company, said the relocation is a setback not only for local businesses, but for the larger economic development effort in the county.
Proximity to Rocket Center is a major selling point for Mineral County, and the county's largely vacant industrial park at Fort Ashby. Companies are able to not only take advantage of Rocket Center equipment like the milling machines, they can also serve as vendors, perhaps using the center's machines in their own line of work.
When the machines move to Bridgeport, so too does that particular selling point, which only makes development of the Fort Ashby park that much more difficult.
Despite assurances to the contrary, Rocket Center's decision to move the machines represents a step backward for local economic development efforts.
Rocket Center remains a vital economic engine not only for the county, but for the entire region. This decision, though, only reinforces the impression that the Potomac Highlands remain something less than a top priority for state and regional economic development.
We encourage Rocket Center to redouble its efforts to partner with Mineral County in the continuing campaign to draw businesses to our region.