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Bassett reports Q3 loss, with performance hurt by cyberattack
Bassett Furniture reported $75.6 million in consolidated third quarter sales, a 13.3% decline from last year and a 9% drop from last quarter. It also recorded an operating loss of $6.4 million, its fifth consecutive loss. The overall loss included a $1.2 million loss on a logistical services contract the company chose to abandon to […]
Launch pads
In the 2000s, economic development leaders in Southern Virginia strategized a path for building back a regional economy decimated by lost textiles jobs. These visionaries, according to Linda Green, executive director for the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, decided to invest in industrial parks and other locations readied for manufacturing operations. “We have been very blessed […]
A practical plan for U.S. 220
Picture an hourglass: Flip the timer over, and the sand at the top funnels through a small opening to pool in the wider receptacle at its bottom. Now imagine if that hole in the middle were wider; sand would flow more freely. That’s how business leaders in Martinsville see the U.S. Route 220 corridor between […]
Lester Group acquires Williamsburg building supply company
The Lester Group, a Martinsville-based company with a diverse portfolio including lumber products and real estate development, acquired Williamsburg-based Custom Builder Supply on June 3, the company announced earlier in June. Lester Group CEO Jay Dickens declined to release financial terms of the deal. Randy Cooper founded Custom Builder Supply in 1988 and worked there […]
Global apparel company VF to leave Martinsville in 2025
VF Corp., a Denver-based global apparel and footwear company with brands including Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies, plans to close its distribution center in Martinsville in March 2025, the company confirmed Wednesday. “As part of VF’s Reinvent strategy, we have evaluated how we are shipping products to best meet the needs of our […]
Broadband, renewable energy focuses for rural development, USDA administrator says
Rural communities can improve their economy and quality of life, Andrew Berke, administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, stressed during the opening of the fifth annual Investing in Rural America conference, held Tuesday at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond hosts the two-day Investing in […]
Henry County airport expansion underway
Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Henry County has completed a larger apron for airplane parking and will soon extend its 5,002-foot runway to 6,000 feet — long enough to accommodate executive jets. A new terminal is also planned as part of a package of about $30 million in upgrades for the airport, according to Jason […]
Southern Va. Big Deal: Shattering records
Poland-based Press Glass, a flat-glass fabricator for the commercial construction industry, will gain a competitive edge when it breaks ground on a $155.2 million expansion of its Ridgeway plant in the second quarter. It’s the single largest investment by a business in Henry County’s history, topping packaging manufacturer Crown Holdings’ $145 million investment in 2021, [&hellip[...]
Dominion pitches new solar projects to SCC
Dominion Energy is pitching the State Corporation Commission on several solar projects that could generate enough carbon-free electricity to power nearly 200,000 homes. The projects, presented in the Fortune 500 utility’s fourth annual clean energy filing with the state, include six solar projects totaling 337 megawatts and 13 power purchase agreements totaling 435 megawatts with […]
Monogram Foods expands Henry County footprint
Responding to demand for more jerky and meat sticks, the Monogram Foods plant in Henry County has a $65 million expansion underway. Memphis-based Monogram Foods’ decision to expand the operation also factored in existing infrastructure and production expertise, says Scott Mills, executive vice president and snacking division president, calling Martinsville “a thriving community with a [&he[...]
Manufacturing 2023: ROBERT H. SPILMAN JR.
Spilman, who has been CEO of home furniture manufacturer and seller Bassett Furniture since 2000, said in March that the company has fulfilled a large backlog of orders and subsequent supply chain disruptions created during the pandemic. In the second quarter, consolidated revenue declined by 22% compared with last year, although the reported $100.5 million […]
Polish glass fabricator expanding in Henry County
Poland-based Press Glass Inc. will spend more than $155 million to expand its operations in Henry County and add 335 jobs, marking the largest expansion in the county’s history, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The largest independent glass fabricator in Europe, according to a news release, Press Glass will construct a 360,000-square-foot addition at its […]
