sept-2017

206 207 and expanded its reach to Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is one of the only hospitals in West Virginia that is bringing in patients from other states, rather than having their patients leaving to seek treat- ment in different facilities. It has recruited the best doctors and started to put additional money into facility infrastructure with a new remodelled emergency and trauma center. The hospital is now the largest employer in Weirton. About 3,500 people in West Virginia work for Japanese firms, such as Feroleto Steel, a division of Toyota Tsusho, located in Weirton. And the city is working diligently to entice more potential Japanese investment in job creation and manu- facturing. Blosser says, “The Executive Director of our Business Development Corp. has been meet- ing with companies in Japan.We’re not going to be the group that sits here as city administrators. The direct message I had with the Mayor is ‘we take no passive approach with economic devel- opment.’We’re not going to wait on the state or any other government organization; we’ve got to do it ourselves.” The plan has proven successful so far. Projects that were stalled, or headed to another state, have changed course. Pietro Florentini looked at Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, even Canada, and chose Weirton,West Virginia to locate its first WEIRTON, WEST VIRGINIA PREFERRED VENDOR n Weirton Medical Center www.weirtonmedical.com U.S.manufacturing operations. It already has its building designed and plans submitted to move forward with the site. Bidell is currently renovating its facility and has already hired 20 to 25 employ- ees. Construction of the Weirton conference cen- ter is expected to be underway in the next three months. Weirton is redeveloping its image to be as business friendly as it can be. The workforce is ready, the infrastructure is ready, and there’s a city and community dedicated to growing exist- ing businesses and population, and improving the quality of life for everyone involved.With all that on its side, the city’s future is looking strong, indeed. When it Comes to Growth and Ingenuity, Weirton, WV is Making a Name for Itself! WE ARE WEIRTON PROUD! weirtonmedical.com Weirton Medical Center is the Home of the WMC Tri-State Medical Network In fact, we’ve added • Over 500 employees • $40 million in annual payroll in the past five years • Multiple new offices in Pennsylvania and Ohio