Thousands of pipeline workers are in West Virginia. Employees at businesses in the area said these workers are pumping a lot of money into the economy. Beckley Buick GMC Auto Mall is one of the businesses benefiting from the pipeline workers. 

Brian Bailes is the Corporate General Manager for Beckley Buick GMC. He said they are seeing an increase in truck sales and service work from these workers. 

“Yes we sure have. There are a lot of them coming in here buying new and used trucks. Also, some of them have their wives with them so they are coming to parts and service. We’ve had a real good increase in fixed ops,” Bailes said.

Car dealerships are not the only local businesses benefiting from the pipeline workers. Tim Berry is Councilman at Large in the City of Beckley. He said the real estate industry is seeing an increase as well. 

“Especially on down by the river. I have some friends that own property on the river that they have actually taken maybe an acre and just kind of divided it off, and just renting little spaces out to the pipeliners that have campers and things like that,” Berry said. 

Bailes said these workers are expecting to be around for quite a while.

“I’ve spoke with a lot of them. The good news is we’ve made a lot of friends with them, so you get close to them hear what they have to say. A lot of them don’t get to go home for a year or two at a time. So there where ever they go they are there,” Bailes said.