By Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON, W.Va. — Despite the pandemic, Mercer County has been experiencing considerable growth, and local leaders are optimistic about what is to come.
According to Secretary of State Mac Warner, the county has had a net gain of 206 new business registrations from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. That does include businesses that may register here for temporary projects, but the 3.3 percent growth is substantial.
Princeton and Bluefield both continue to see an increase in activity.
David Graham, mayor of Princeton, said a trend started in 2015 and 90 new businesses have located in the city since then, with 70 of them still open.
The city has a program of offering an initial waiver of the Business and Occupational (B&O) tax, he said, and it has proven to be popular…