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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 […]
Carter Bank vs. Justice family saga continues
Martinsville‘s Carter Bank & Trust says a Feb. 12 federal lawsuit filed against it by GLAS Trust Co. contains “false and misleading” allegations as part of a complex financial dispute over debt repayments from loans to West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, his family and their businesses. GLAS filed suit in the U.S. District Court for […]
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[...]
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 […]
Manufacturing 2023: JEREMY HOFF
Hoff joined Hooker Furniture in 2017. He served consecutive terms as president of the upholstery, case goods and then legacy brands divisions before being named its first nonfamily CEO in 2021, the same year the company rebranded as Hooker Furnishings. Hoff serves as treasurer for the High Point Market Authority and is a board member […]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: CLAY CAMPBELL
For Campbell, the past year has been a chance to celebrate milestones — both NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway marked their 75th anniversaries in the second half of 2022. Owned by NASCAR, Martinsville Speedway hosts NASCAR Cup Series races every spring and fall. Campbell’s grandfather, H. Clay Earles, built the paperclip-shaped speedway in 1947, and Campbell […]
Betting on success
Thousands of new jobs are flowing into Southern Virginia as Caesars Virginia prepares to open its permanent casino resort next year, and industries move into the region or expand. Meanwhile, local economic developers have been pitching the vacant 3,500-acre Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill for megaprojects like electric vehicle assembly and battery manufacturing plants […]
Commonwealth Crossing plays ‘long game’ for success
Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre‘s first two tenants — Polish flat-glass processor Press Glass Inc. and Pennsylvania-based aluminum beverage can manufacturer Crown Holdings Inc. — have invested at least $218 million into facilities at the industrial park in Henry County, creating about 400 jobs, according to Mark Heath, president and CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic [&h[...]
Moving in
Southern Virginia is laying out the welcome mat for a growing number of companies seeking to locate in areas with lower taxes, better proximity to supply chains, a skilled workforce and improved quality of life. During 2022, a variety of businesses, ranging from an automotive education and entertainment firm to a moving and transit company, […]
Growth industry
When manufacturers thinking about setting up shop in Southern Virginia visit Pittsylvania County, the county’s economic development director, Matt Rowe, doesn’t just show off expansive, shovel-ready industrial sites. He also touts the region’s workforce, which includes many workers with advanced manufacturing skill sets. Eighteen percent of Southern Virginia’s labor force w[...]
