Coalition formed by Charleston Area Alliance receives federal funding for craft beer & spirit trail









February 27, 2019

Coalition formed by Charleston Area Alliance receives federal funding for craft beer & spirit trail

The Charleston Area Alliance today applauded the announcement by the Appalachian Regional Commission that it has awarded a nearly $80,000 technical assistance grant to study the potential for a craft beer and spirit trail in central and western West Virginia.


The Alliance brought together the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI), Putnam County Economic Development Authority, Huntington Area Development Corporation, Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, BridgeValley Community and Technical College, Marshall University Research Corporation (MURC), and other partners to work on this project.


“The Alliance was excited to bring this idea to the forefront, and we have been proud to work closely with all of these partners to make this project a reality,” said Matthew Ballard, Charleston Area Alliance President and CEO. “This is a true collective effort. We thank every member of this team for thinking ahead and planning regionally to leverage the growing craft brewing and distilling industry for the benefit of our region’s small businesses, tourism and economic future.”
 
The grant, which is administered by RCBI and MURC, will be used to conduct an economic impact study of the emerging craft beer and spirits industry in Cabell, Kanawha, Putnam, and Roane counties. The study will identify emerging strengths, existing market gaps, and new business and employment opportunities to guide local economic development efforts.