Dear Editor:

We find it necessary to respond to the May 8, 2008 Letter to the Editor entitled “Mineral County Dropping the Ball on Economic Prospect”. We regret that this letter appears nearly four years after the company had considered moving to West Virginia and Mineral County. It seems oddly-timed and regretfully long after a resolution could have been found. Had Mr. Morales responded to our attempts to reach him four years ago, perhaps the result could have been different.
Having said that, here are the facts:
1. On August 19, 2004, an e-mail was received from Gary Howell that he had been in contact with a company, Dynamic Auto Design, who was interested in locating in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park. Juan Morales was listed by Mr. Howell as the company’s contact and owner. This e-mail was sent to Commissioner Janice LaRue, Chamber of Commerce Director Anne Palmer and Senator Jon Hunter.
2. On August 24, 2004, Kay Vaughan, Director, Mineral County Development Authority, sent Dynamic Auto Design a letter providing information on the area’s labor, the Fort Ashby Park, assistance programs available through the State and with an offer to assist with the project. The letter was sent to Djahangir Hayat, Owner and President of the Company.
3. On August 26, 2004, Commissioner LaRue called Juan Morales to demonstrate the support of the County Commission in any effort to locate at the Fort Ashby Park. Mr. Morales advised Commissioner LaRue that he was not the owner.
4. During September, 2004, the Development Authority and County Commission worked with Dick Jennings of the WV Development Office to develop a building lease proposal. This was prior to the shell building being constructed at the Fort Ashby Park, in fact, bids had not been received on the building.
The proposal was based on the engineer’s construction estimate of the shell building and a contractor’s estimate to install 5,000 square feet of office space.
5. On October 1, 2004, a letter from the Development Authority was delivered to Dick Jennings, WV Development Office. This letter outlined the time line in which a building could be constructed at Fort Ashby and the proposed lease costs. Mr. Jennings confirmed that this letter, along with other information from the State, was sent to the Company on October 6, 2004. Mr. Jennings advised that they had made several follow-up calls to the Company and had never received a response, nor did the Company respond to the Development Authority or the County Commission.
Certainly, it is the policy and practice of the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, the Mineral County Development Authority, and the County Commission to work with any and all business that would like to relocate into our county. It would serve no purpose for any one of those organizations to refuse to cooperate with business and industry. That we have maintained the documentation to support our attempts to work with this company is evidence of that policy.
To suggest that current county government may not “want business” simply couldn’t be further from the truth. Over the last 18 months, two businesses have located in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park with negotiations ongoing for further expansion. Outside of the Park, business and industry continue to develop in Mineral County. The focus of all three organizations must include development of current business and industry as well as the attraction of new business to the County. Both of these initiatives must be supported by an infrastructure that can manage additional strain. Great strides have been made by the County to make this possible. New water and sewer projects, broadband initiatives, and regional cooperative growth initiatives have been and continue to be an important element in the progress of the county.
We regret that Mr. Morales decided to locate his business outside of Mineral County; however, we strongly believe that everyone did their part in attempting to work with Mr. Morales and all other businesses that consider locating here. We intend to move forward in our approach to smart growth for the county and its residents. The Chamber, Development Authority, and the Commission will continue to work together to enhance the economic base and quality of life for all Mineral County residents and businesses.
                                            Mineral County Commission
and                                            Mineral County Development Authority