Charles T. Jones, president and CEO of Amherst Industries, is pictured during his induction into the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame at The Greenbrier earlier this year.

On the heels of a successful transformation into a marquis event, the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame has announced that its nomination process for 2018 inductees is open until November 30. 

The event location and time of year changed dramatically earlier this year, as the Hall of Fame transitioned its venue to The Greenbrier to kick off the annual West Virginia Business Summit.

The event, which will be next held on August 28, 2018, is hosted annually by the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics. Since the inception of the Hall of Fame in 2001, 65 individuals with strong ties to West Virginia have been inducted for their significant and lasting contributions in national and/or international businesses, state-based enterprises, and entrepreneurial and family businesses.

“The inductees who make up the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame are individuals who have positively molded the business climate in West Virginia through their successes in and outside of this state,” said W. Marston “Marty” Becker, chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee and a 2009 inductee. “Their accomplishments and successes have left an indelible impression on West Virginia, and the Hall of Fame’s purpose is to celebrate those success stories.”

Hundreds of attendees gathered in August to see the induction of three individuals who have positively impacted the state’s business landscape. Those inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this year included Charles T. Jones, president and CEO of Amherst Industries; Robert O. Orders, CEO of Orders Construction Company, Inc.; and D. Stephen Walker, former president and CEO of Walker Machinery Company.

Inductees are seen as people who have had a noteworthy impact on West Virginia’s business landscape and have demonstrated commitment and success in the state. They have either been educated in West Virginia, have built their careers in West Virginia or are native West Virginians. Additionally, they serve as commendable role models for students and younger generations everywhere. Nominees are not required to be West Virginia natives or graduates from in-state institutions, and are chosen by an independent selection committee.

“The Hall of Fame event has really leapt to a new level in kicking off the West Virginia Business Summit, and we were so very happy with the public response to the changes in the event this past August,” Becker said.

For complete nomination criteria and further information on the Hall of Fame, visit https://business.wvu.edu/wv-business-hall-of-fame.