CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia Secretary of State attended the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday to announce “National Veterans Small Business Week.”
The National Week falls under the week of Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.
According to the WV Secretary of State, Mac Warner more than 4,000 businesses in West Virginia are veteran-owned, and 138 of them are in Harrison County. Warner attended the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce meeting to issue the proclamation for the counties’ business owners.
Two veterans were recognized at the issuing of the proclamation. Ronald Eagle, President of HQ Aero Management Incorporated at the airport and a member of the VFW Post 573, was invited as a veteran business owner and was surprised to be acknowledged and recognized in front of the Chamber.
HQ Aero Management Incorporated assists the aviation community and man power requirements. They have licensed mechanics that work on air crafts, travel around the United States, and work in different facilities, in which they set the labor market. They then help the local communities in building their labor market so that they can have the employee base that they are looking for.
Eagle served 10 years of active duty in the Air Force, and then came back to West Virginia and joined the National Guard out of Fairmont, from which he was deployed again in 2004. Once returning to the United States, Eagle retired with 23 years of serving the country.
The Secretary of State Warner is a veteran himself, along with some of his family members. “All four of my children are veterans, some of them are still serving—both of my son and laws are. I would certainly like to bring them back here to West Virginia. But by encouraging to other veteran-owned businesses, I’m hoping that my children will see that opportunity and come back to West Virginia as well.”
Eagle said being recognized for his business now, means a lot to him. “I think it’s good to recognize veterans, there’s you know, a lot of folks don’t realize that the majority of West Virginia is comprised of veterans. And it’s very special to us when we get recognized in this manner, so it means a lot.”
With Veteran’s Day coming up on Nov. 11, the Secretary of State visits honoring veterans planned in the coming weeks.
