FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2025
CONTACT:
John Neurohr, [email protected], 717-364-6452
VIEW A RECORDING OF THE EVENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNF4Z9OFnQ
As the Trump Administration pulls back on investments in the region, ReImagine Appalachia’s virtual summit brings together hundreds of stakeholders to develop concrete strategies for transforming the Ohio River Valley of Appalachia (aka coal country), into a modernized manufacturing hub.
APPALACHIA — ReImagine Appalachia convened leaders yesterday from across the manufacturing, government, labor and community development sectors for the Appalachian Manufacturing Action Plan Summit, a comprehensive virtual event that outlined actionable strategies to transform Appalachia into a hub for sustainable manufacturing in the new energy economy.
The four-hour summit featured two major panel discussions and ten interactive breakout sessions covering critical topics including bio-based manufacturing, Appalachian strengths and assets, circular economy initiatives, workforce training and quality jobs, cleantech supply chains, and redevelopment of shuttered coal plants.
“Appalachia has everything it takes to become a manufacturing powerhouse for the 21st century,” said Amanda Woodrum, Co-Executive Director of ReImagine Appalachia. “While canceled projects and uncertainty about federal investment are setbacks, Appalachia is resilient. Our region’s central location, skilled workforce, and existing industrial infrastructure position us uniquely to lead in sustainable manufacturing. This summit brought together the right people to chart a concrete path forward.”
The event’s opening panel, “Appalachia as a Manufacturing Hub,” featured insights from Petra Mitchell, President & CEO of Catalyst Connection; Rwitwika Bhattacharya, CEO of Prosper America; and Matt Bogoshian, Executive Director of the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative. Speakers highlighted the region’s competitive advantages and discussed how to leverage historical assets for new opportunities in the clean economy.
A second full-group session, “Getting from here to there: Developing an Appalachian Manufacturing Action Plan,” included additional perspectives from Nikhil Kalathil, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives at Carnegie Mellon University’s Critical Technology Initiative, who discussed the technical and ecosystem requirements for building regional manufacturing capacity.
Throughout the summit, participants engaged in targeted breakout sessions exploring specific manufacturing opportunities:
- Bio-based Manufacturing: Discussions centered on growing bio-based feedstocks and producing sustainable materials in Appalachia
- Investment Strategies: Sessions focused on attracting private investment to leverage the region’s assets, including rare earth elements and carbon-friendly transportation infrastructure
- Industrial Decarbonization: Conversations about helping existing Ohio River Valley manufacturers maintain global competitiveness by reducing carbon footprints
- Circular Manufacturing: Exploration of reuse systems, eco-industrial parks, and waste collection infrastructure
- Workforce Development: Discussions on ensuring fair compensation and quality jobs for Appalachian workers in new manufacturing sectors
- Site Redevelopment: Strategies for transforming shuttered coal plants and brownfield sites into new manufacturing facilities
- Land Access: Addressing challenges of absentee ownership and land policy barriers to development
“The level of engagement and the quality of ideas that emerged from today’s breakout sessions demonstrate that there is real momentum building around sustainable manufacturing in Appalachia,” said Steve Herzenberg, Co-Executive Director of ReImagine Appalachia. “We’re not just talking about abstract possibilities—we’re developing concrete action steps that can create good jobs while revitalizing communities and protecting the environment.”
The summit drew participants from across the Appalachian region, including representatives from manufacturing companies, economic development organizations, workforce development agencies, environmental groups, and community organizations. The insights and recommendations generated during the event will inform ReImagine Appalachia’s Manufacturing Action Plan, which will be released in the coming months.
Key themes that emerged from the summit included:
- The importance of leveraging Appalachia’s existing workforce skills and industrial infrastructure
- The need for coordinated investment strategies that connect regional assets with manufacturing opportunities
- The potential for circular economy approaches to increase regional competitiveness and sustainability
- The critical role of site redevelopment in creating new manufacturing opportunities while addressing legacy environmental issues
- The necessity of ensuring that new manufacturing jobs provide fair wages and quality working conditions
The Manufacturing Action Plan Summit represented the culmination of ReImagine Appalachia’s summer-long series of listening sessions and research presentations exploring realistic manufacturing opportunities throughout the region. Previous events in the series examined specific sectors and strategies, with yesterday’s summit bringing these threads together into a comprehensive vision for the region’s manufacturing future.
“Appalachians are working together to create a collective vision for a 21st century economy,” Woodrum added. “This summit was an important step towards building an actionable roadmap for how to get from here to there.”
For more information about the Appalachian Manufacturing Action Plan Summit and ReImagine Appalachia’s ongoing work to build a sustainable manufacturing hub in the region, visit ReImagine Appalachia’s Make It In Appalachia page here.
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