West Virginia is a leading coal-mining region that has seen steady increases in production since the 1970s, despite a decline in employment due to mechanization and improved mining techniques. However, the industry is threatened by environmental laws that restrict the expansion of mountaintop removal, a type of surface mining that is particularly devastating to the landscape, as well as concerns about air quality. The state’s other leading industries include chemicals, primary metals, lumber and wood products, and glassmaking, which utilizes the state’s abundance of silica sand.

Pumps are also used extensively in the chemical and primary metals industries, as well as in the production of lumber and wood products. In addition, the glassmaking industry requires pumps for various applications, including the circulation of glass in the manufacturing process. It is important in supporting West Virginia’s economy and the industries that are critical to its success.