WV SECRETARY OF COMMERCE KELLY GOES                               VISITS ASHLAND COMPANY STORE

               During a visit to McDowell County, the West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Kelly Goes             visited the Ashland Company Store and Travel Beautiful Appalachia, Inc. (TBAI) office.              Secretary Goes was accompanied by Bobby Lewis from the WV Development Office and             Jimmy Gianato from WV Division of Homeland Security. House of Delegate Member Clif             Moore, Mike Mitchem, Chairman of the TBAI Board of Directors and Christy Bailey, Executive             Director of the Coal Heritage Authority, were also present for the visit.  The TBAI staff             members Sharon Walden, Executive Director, Debbie Bailey, Business Development Manager             and Ann Nicks, the Office of Surface Mining VISTA, gave a presentation to Secretary Goes             regarding the business incubator located in the store which contains a retail space with 40             West Virginia vendors and 40 local entrepreneurs, a kitchen used by the Coal Camp Café             and for food manufacturing, a computer lab, offices, a meeting space for training and             community events. Secretary Goes offered a number of ideas for the expansion of services             for TBAI including activities to the women and children who come with the ATV riders             and the newest geocaching events.   After the tour, Secretary Goes went to the Hatfield             McCoy Trail System trailhead and the Ashland Resort KOA to view first hand the leading             tourism activities in McDowell County.