<strong>Industries</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Future</strong> — <strong>West</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong> • Use technology to bridge <strong>the</strong> gap for those currently in <strong>the</strong> education system • Internet, CD-ROM, Simulators 25
Inaugural Symposium Proceedings STRATEGIES FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA Panel Presentations Participants: John Green, Vice-President for Technology, The Aluminum Association Brian Joseph, President, Touchstone Labs Skip Lineberg, Manager, National Accounts, Business and Industrial Development, <strong>West</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong> Development Office Moderator: John Snider, Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Business and Industrial Development, <strong>West</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong> Development Office Moderator: There is a great need in this state to start looking at what we do long term in <strong>the</strong> industries that are being discussed here today. I’m very involved in <strong>the</strong> Steel Advisory Council, <strong>the</strong> Polymer Alliance Zone, and several o<strong>the</strong>r organizations, which you will hear about today. I think it’s very important that we look at broad strategies for industrial development and see where different industry sectors can cooperate for <strong>the</strong> long term. We’ve had an excellent year <strong>of</strong> success in industrial and economic development. Not only in <strong>the</strong> retention <strong>of</strong> jobs, but also <strong>the</strong> expansion. Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> industries that are here today are expanding industries and we know that is very important. Our first presenter today is Dr. John Green. Green: Thank you, John. The Aluminum Association represents 60 companies, with about 300 plants in 40 states. I have been involved all my time at <strong>the</strong> Association with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Future</strong> (IOF) partnership with <strong>the</strong> DOE. It has been an interesting and a very rewarding exercise for our industry. I’d like to try, first to share some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> surprising or unexpected results that have come out <strong>of</strong> this process. The second thing I’d like to do is talk to you about ano<strong>the</strong>r similar effort that is happening on a regional basis in <strong>the</strong> Pacific Northwest, giving you a glimpse <strong>of</strong> NATT, <strong>the</strong> Northwest Alliance for Transportation Technology. You could say it is competitive with what you’re doing in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong>, but I think <strong>the</strong>re are possible lessons to learn that might be beneficial. I’ll start <strong>of</strong>f with <strong>the</strong> IOF partnership process that our industry, like <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r six, has been involved in with <strong>the</strong> DOE. Our industry came at this from a very skeptical point <strong>of</strong> view. Initially, as Denise knows, <strong>the</strong>re was a lot <strong>of</strong> concern, resistance, and questioning about if we really wanted to do it and what possible things we could get out <strong>of</strong> it. In a period <strong>of</strong> two years, I think that has really turned around enormously. Now, we see it as a very beneficial process for our industry on <strong>the</strong> national level. The industry has learned that cooperation is not only possible, but it is worthwhile. As you may know, our industry has had a rough time with anti-trust issues over <strong>the</strong> years. Twice <strong>the</strong> government has basically caused <strong>the</strong> industry to be reorganized. Therefore, <strong>the</strong>re has always been a very deep-seated concern about involvement with <strong>the</strong> government. When we concluded <strong>the</strong> first workshop, which led to our completed roadmap, one or two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> representatives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> aluminum companies got totally 26
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