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Industrial real estate is a hot commodity in Southwest Virginia. “It’s hard to find available space of anything that’s above 15,000 to 20,000 square feet,” says Jonathan Belcher, executive director of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA), which represents Lee, Wise, Scott, Buchanan, Russell, Tazewell and Dickenson counties and the city of Norton. Leaders [&[...]
United Way of SWVA appoints development/outreach VP
The United Way of Southwest Virginia has named Beth McConkey as its new vice president of development and outreach, the organization announced Thursday. McConkey oversees the marketing and communications and development teams. She started her role in mid-December. She brings 16 years of marketing experience to the organization and has held leadership positions at multiple […]
Southwest Virginia could get small modular nuclear reactor
In early October, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced his goal of developing a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) in Southwest Virginia within 10 years, part of a plan to make the region an epicenter of energy innovation. Not long after, Youngkin said he planned to allocate $10 million to create the Virginia Power Innovation Fund, with […]
NY foundation invests $10M in Appalachian Community Capital
Appalachian Community Capital, a Christiansburg-based community development financial institution that provides capital for small businesses across the Appalachian region, will receive an additional $10 million investment in the form of a low-interest loan from the Ford Foundation, the New York-based nonprofit announced Wednesday. The Ford Foundation initially invested $3 million in ACC in 2015. A[...]
Indoor salmon farm travels upstream
An indoor fish farm located in Southwest Virginia, an idea born nearly a decade ago, is slowly swimming its way closer to reality. Work on water infrastructure improvements, including a new water line and sewage lift station, to support the Pure Salmon facility that will straddle Tazewell and Russell counties could begin as early as […]
United Way of SWVA promotes exec to VP of community impact
The United Way of Southwest Virginia named Mary Anne Holbrook, who has been with the nonprofit since 2016, to the newly created position of vice president of community impact, the nonprofit announced Monday. Holbrook assumed the role on Nov. 1. She is providing strategic leadership for UWSWVA’s programs and community initiatives. She previously served as […]
ABC license spikes biz in Norton
Participants in Southwest Virginia‘s fourth High Knob Outdoor Fest rode mountain bikes, hiked nature trails and floated down the Clinch River, but many also sipped beer and wine in Norton‘s new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). The DORA designation from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority lets adult customers buy drinks from ABC-licensed establishments within [&[...]
SWVA projects recommended for $10.6M in federal funds
Eight Southwest Virginia economic development projects totaling $10.6 million have been recommended for federal funding under Virginia’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization grant program, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith announced Friday. Referred to the federal Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement for approval, the projects include $2.347 million to [...]
Theater renovations draw downtown visitors
Before her August performance at Marion’s historic Lincoln Theatre, country singer Lorrie Morgan took an afternoon stroll downtown, stopping at shops and the local farmers market, according to Tracy Thompson, the theater’s director. Drawing visitors — famous and otherwise — to downtown Marion was the goal back in 2004 when the community raised more than […]
Accelerating the solar workforce
When local school systems decided to add solar arrays to their buildings, regional environmental nonprofit Appalachian Voices and other members of the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia counted it as a victory in their six-year efforts to develop a renewable energy cluster in Virginia’s coalfield counties. In January, Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire […]
Chesterfield-based Paymerang expands to Wise County
Chesterfield County-based payment and invoice automation company Paymerang LLC will expand its operations to Southwest Virginia, creating 50 jobs in Wise, the company announced Thursday. The move follows a previous expansion of its Chesterfield County headquarters. In Wise, employees will work in software development, cloud engineering and payment operations. Paymerang is the second company to jo[...]
Southwest Va. builds outdoor rec centers
Southwest Virginia has two new centers welcoming outdoor adventurists and another on the way. With a grand opening set for August, the $1.5 million Back of the Dragon Welcome Center opened in Tazewell in May 2020. In Coeburn, Spearhead Trails opened a 22,000-square-foot activity center in its renovated Coeburn headquarters last year. And the $2.67 […]
