NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va.--

The charts, diagrams and photos that you'll find in the Wetzel County Chamber of Commerce office are each a part of a larger effort: trying to encourage businesses to set up shop, no matter how big or how small, experienced or start-up.

"And also [work] with those individuals who want to develop their own business, which is going to create the employment for themselves and also they'll want to hire employees," said Steve Hunt, who is on the Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

The county's unemployment rate is at 11.9 percent.  According to figures from Workforce West Virginia, that's four percent above the state average.

"Some of my family members are looking for jobs and they can't find anything," said Karen Sanford.  "My brother-in-law is a trucker and if he could find a job that he could be home every night he wouldn't drive truck."

Business developers in New Martinsville are working with West Virginia Northern Community College to train oil and gas workers.  They've surveyed small companies to find out who's looking to grow.  And they've hired a non-profit called Valley Ventures, run by local man Lou Stein.

"He's created a master plan for us with three areas. We've got historic downtown, the Steelton area and we also have the Wetzel Commerce Park which is a 40-acre park," said Doug Patterson, community and economic development specialist with the Wetzel County Chamber of Commerce.

Patterson said the master plan spans two to three years, but once business development gets underway, he said he hopes it will continue for many years in the future.