alongside Alberta Main Street in Port-
land, OR, and Wausau River District in
Wausau, WI.
“Receiving this award means that real,
substantive changes are being seen in our
downtown,” says Jake Dougherty, execu-
tive director of Wheeling Heritage. “I hope
this award will give another morale boost
to the community, I hope it will encourage
some who have counted Wheeling out to
rediscover what it has to offer, and I hope
it encourages others who have never been
here to discover it for the first time.”
A Bright Future
The changes that have occurred over the
past several years as well as the GAMSA
have inspired more and more people to
take a chance on their dreams in Wheel-
ing, whether those dreams include open-
ing a new business or starting fresh in a
new community.
“Wheeling is the best small town in
America,” says Erikka Storch, president
of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Com-
merce. “We are a very philanthropic, sup-
portive community. If you believe in your
idea and are willing to take a chance,
this community will embrace you and
help you thrive.”
Don Rigby, executive director of RED,
believes Wheeling’s recent success and its
openness to new people and ideas are the
result of the common goals and close con-
nections shared by city leadership.
“The sharing of ideas among successful
leaders is a terrific opportunity,” he says.
“Our business community is vibrant and
welcomes new companies, and the busi-
nesses and industries we have are our best
selling points.”
As the birthplace of West Virginia,
an early industrial hub and a designated
National Heritage Area, Wheeling is rich
in history. While that history is honored
and revered by residents, people are now
looking toward the city’s bright future.
“Today, you still hear your fair share
of stories of the downtown of yesteryear,
but more often than not, you are hearing
conversations celebrating the present and
looking to the future,” says Elliott. “It is
tremendously exciting to be a part of those
conversations. I love Wheeling’s history
as much as anyone, but I never want our
city to be thought of as a place that used
to be something better. I believe—as do
a growing number of local residents—
that Wheeling’s best days lie ahead.”
WHY WHEELING?
Situated on a major inland waterway and a federal highway less than 60 miles from a
busy international airport, Wheeling is located within a 500-mile radius of roughly two-
thirds of the U.S. population. Combined with a low cost of living, low barriers to entry,
four higher education institutions and a thriving downtown, it’s no wonder why the
following companies have chosen Wheeling as their home base.
“Although we have locations in Frederick,
MD; Pittsburgh, PA; Lexington, KY; and
Columbus, Ohio, our executives have chosen
to maintain our headquarters here because
Wheeling is our home. There are a lot of
great people who work for this company,
and Wheeling is where it all started.”
– Paul Orbin,
Director of Marketing, Kalkreuth
Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc.
“Having our headquarters located in
downtown Wheeling has given us countless
oppor tunities to par tner with other
organizations and groups that are all working
toward the same goal of making downtown
Wheeling a destination in the tri-state area
and beyond. We can’t wait to see what the
future holds for us in Wheeling.”
– James Pennington,
President & CEO, The Health Plan
“When Orrick’s Global Operations Center
opened in Wheeling in 2002, it was the
first-ever global insourcing center in a U.S.-
based law firm. Orrick has been named the
most innovative law firm in North America
for the past three years, and there’s simply
no way we could have done that without
our Wheeling talent.” “There are many reasons why Wheeling was
a great fit when we were choosing a location
for our on-shore delivery center. Wheeling
offers such a sense of community, and we
really wanted to be able to tap into that. We
give a lot of support to local organizations
through our Beyond Business program.
It’s a real point of pride for Williams Lea.”
– Will Turani,
Director of Administration, Orrick
Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Bay Area – Jennifer Materkoski,
Senior Manager of Communications
and Engagement, Williams Lea Tag
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