Outdoor NRG: An Outdoor Industry Initiative

Recognizing West Virginia’s abundant outdoor assets and development potential, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) secured funding to launch Outdoor NRG, an initiative supported by the Beckley Area Foundation and Central Appalachian Network. Outdoor NRG convenes interested individuals to build a network of outdoor enthusiasts, retailers, manufacturing companies, economic development leaders, and those dedicated to expanding the outdoor industry.

NRGRDA’s consulting partner Noah Wilson of Emergent Opportunities, Inc., hosted a public event at Weathered Ground Brewery in Ghent, WV, earlier this month to discuss the future of the outdoor gear industry in the New River Gorge Region. “Noah’s work with the Outdoor Gear Builders in Asheville, N.C., is impressive,” affirmed NRGRDA Executive Director Joseph Brouse. “The New River Gorge Region is primed for the expansion of this industry.”

“While there is a thriving outdoor industry already established in the region, there are still vast opportunities for growth in complimentary businesses supporting it,” says NRGRDA Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives Lisa Gale. “By working together as an industry, we can create a welcoming environment that attracts not only established businesses to relocate here, but spur new entrepreneurial growth.”

The Outdoor NRG initiative serves as a catalyst for other regional partners interested in developing within the outdoor industry and strives to attract and retain industry businesses, creating jobs, a stable workforce, and a growing regional population.

Learn more about Outdoor NRG and other NRGRDA initiatives at https://nrgrda.org/initiatives/.