A cornerstone of the Foundation’s efforts is focused on attracting national and international investment to the State. For more than a decade, the Foundation has teamed up with local and state economic development organizations to host over fifty in-state trade missions. These missions have resulted in good jobs for our citizens and billions of dollars in investment by companies such as NGK Spark Plug, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, CASCI and AB&C.

Given Senator Rockefeller’s long-standing relationships in Asia, the Foundation has had particular success attracting investment from Japan. Today, nineteen Japanese companies have chosen to locate a facility in the State including KS of West Virginia, Nippon Thermostat of America Corporation, Okuno International, Diamond Electric, to name a few, and our State’s stature in Japan continues to grow.

Another important goal of the Foundation’s in-state trade missions is to promote the growth of existing industry by partnering national and international executives with West Virginia executives in similar industries. Whether it results in a joint venture or a new export market for our state's manufacturers, these partnerships or linkages mean growth for West Virginia’s companies and more jobs for our citizens.