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U.S. Cellular to lay off 95 Va. employees due to T-Mobile merger
U.S. Cellular will lay off 95 workers in Virginia in June, according to a post on the Virginia Department of Workforce Development’s website Friday. The Chicago-based U.S. Cellular‘s wireless operations will be sold to T-Mobile for $4.4 billion, the companies announced in May 2024, and U.S. Cellular plans to lay off 4,100 employees nationally, according […]
Hooker exits Georgia warehouse as part of consolidation effort
Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings announced this week that it will end operations at its Savannah, Georgia, warehouse as part of a consolidation effort. “Our decision to exit our Savannah distribution facility was not taken lightly,” Hooker Furnishings CEO Jeremy Hoff said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate the hospitality and support received from the state of […]
Hooker Furnishings adds showroom dedicated to international audience
Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings is demonstrating its commitment to serving a worldwide audience with the debut of its dedicated International Buyer Showroom at the upcoming High Point Market in North Carolina that will run April 26-30. Set apart from its flagship showroom, the dedicated 5,000-square-foot space is located on the second floor of Showplace in space 2340 […]
Top Five: February 2025 edition
1 | Richmond water crisis shuts down restaurants, businesses Businesses “Dry January” became all too literal in Richmond, where city residents and businesses struggled with a water outage that started Jan. 6, delaying the start of the General Assembly, and leaving the city without water for several days. (Jan. 8) 2 | Buc-ee’s estimates first […]
Press Glass shifts N.C. operations to Henry County
Press Glass, a fabricator of flat glass for the commercial construction industry, is shuttering its Stoneville, North Carolina, operation and moving toward fabricating and delivering all products from its operation in Ridgeway, where the company has produced glass since 2020. Of 178 workers at the North Carolina plant, 110 are transferring to Press Glass’ Virginia […]
Martinsville doctor found guilty of 460+ counts of opioids distribution
A federal court jury in Abingdon found Dr. Joel Smithers, who previously practiced in Martinsville, guilty of 466 federal counts of illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Virginia announced Dec. 31, 2024. He was also found guilty of one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of illegally […]
Martinsville real estate, building supply firm names new president
The Lester Group has appointed Dana Cowart president, the Martinsville-based building materials and real estate development company announced Monday. Cowart started his new job Dec. 1. Cowart brings to The Lester Group more than two decades of experience in the building supply sector. Previously, Cowart was vice president of acquisitions, vice president of sales and […]
Customer bankruptcy, severance charges push Hooker’s loss in Q3
Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings reported consolidated net sales of $104.4 million in the third quarter ended Oct. 27, a decrease of $12.5 million, or 10.7%, from last year. It also reported an operating loss of $7.3 million, marking its third quarterly loss in a row. The company attributed ongoing low demand as a reason for the […]
Summit for entrepreneurs planned for Danville
Two South Boston-based economic development organizations will host a summit for entrepreneurs and business leaders Oct. 19 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. Launched by the SOVA Innovation Hub, a nonprofit working to drive economic transformation with digital skills and entrepreneurship, and RISE Collaborative, a regional initiative driven by a mission […]
Hooker CEO talks layoffs, other takeaways from Q2 earnings report
This story is republished with permission from Furniture Today. Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings reported $95.1 million in consolidated net sales for the second quarter last week, a 2.8% drop from last year. It marked the second consecutive quarterly loss for the company, at $3.1 million. Other than the usual sales figures, there were a few notable […]
Martinsville industrial property sells for $2.35M
An entity connected to Time Equities, a New York diversified investment, development, asset and property management and alternative energy company, purchased a 99,500-square-foot industrial building in Martinsville currently leased by Atlas Molded Products on Aug. 14 for $2.35 million, according to real estate records and a Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer news release. Time Equities [&hellip[...]
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 […]
