Pittsylvania site is top contender for lithium-ion battery plant
The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County is the top contender for a lithium-ion battery manufacturing project that could top $1 billion in investments and about 1,500 jobs, according to its CEO. After a $100 million grant for the project was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy Nov. 27, 2023, Tennessee-based […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hurt & Proffitt acquires Gretna civil engineering firm
Lynchburg-based civil engineering firm Hurt & Proffitt (H&P) has acquired Gretna-based Reynolds-Clark Development, according to a news release. H&P Chief Financial Officer Matthew Leslie declined to disclose the value of the deal. The company has added Reynolds-Clark’s five employees to its workforce, bringing its total personnel to about 150. Reynolds-Clark will be now be known [...]
German electronics manufacturer to add 100 Va. jobs
Germany-based Zollner Elektronik AG will invest $18 million to expand in Virginia, including boosts to its electronics manufacturing operations in Danville as well at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Leesburg, adding 100 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The expansions include $14 million to expand manufacturing operations in the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industria[...]
Making the grade
For Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, this is the state’s rebuilding era. Although his Democratic predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam, trumpeted Virginia’s unprecedented consecutive two-time run as CNBC’s Top State for Business, Youngkin has been critical of the state missing out to our Southern neighboring states on big manufacturing deals because of Virginia’s dearth of project-r[...]
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, […]
It’s official — Ford plant going to Michigan
Ford Motor Co. announced Monday that it will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, a $3.5 billion project that Virginia was considered for until Gov. Glenn Youngkin pulled the state out of it late last year. Youngkin‘s concern, he said in January, was over the involvement of China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL), […]
Democrats call out Youngkin on Ford plant decision
Democratic state delegates excoriated Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday for taking Virginia out of the running for a $3.5 billion Ford Motor Co. battery manufacturing plant that would have created at least 2,500 jobs in Southern Virginia. The governor said last week that although Virginia was a finalist for the economic development project, he […]
Va. officials woo chip manufacturers
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and state and local economic development officials are vying to attract semiconductor chip manufacturing facilities to four Virginia industrial sites as the commonwealth gears up to fight for a piece of the financial pie from sweeping federal legislation that promises to ramp up chip production in the U.S. Representatives of Chesterfield, […]
Prosperity drives formation of regional group
Interim Pittsylvania County Administrator Clarence Monday knows what’s better than two localities working together: a whole region working to support them in a joint effort. “The partnership between Danville and Pittsylvania County is unusually strong, so it makes sense that Pittsylvania County is a partner in the economic and community success of this region. We’re […]
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[...]


















