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Appalachian Council for Innovation taps exec director
John Bebber has been hired as executive director of the Appalachian Council for Innovation, its board announced earlier in January. He was previously district director for U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Abingdon. ACI is a nonprofit regional economic development organization founded in 1999 as the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council. It includes businesses and organizations in 16 […]
United Way launches child care initiative
The gap between the need for child care and its availability and accessibility is nearly three times higher than the state average in Southwest Virginia, where parents lack child care services for more than 7,000 children under age 5, according to a 2019 report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. Child care is not cost-effective for […]
Homes inventory declined sharply last month in Va.
Virginia’s inventory of homes continues to decline, but buyer demand remains high, according to a report released Tuesday by Virginia Realtors. At the end of November, there were 16,242 active listings across the commonwealth, nearly 25% fewer than the same time last year. The rate of decline in homes on the market slowed down over […]
Southwest Va. project will help manufacturers enter wind energy supply chain
Public-private campaign InvestSWVA announced Tuesday the launch of an economic development initiative designed to help Southwest Virginia manufacturers find entry points in the supply chain for wind energy equipment components. The initiative, called Project Veer, will connect Southwest Virginia manufacturers with industry experts, public sector partners, the Hampton Roads Alliance, Dominion Energ[...]
Two Va. projects are finalists for $100M U.S. EDA grants
Two Virginia projects — one to make Central Virginia an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing hub and one to support the transportation and logistics cluster in Southern and Southwest Virginia — are two of 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which will provide awardees with up to $100 million each. […]
Coalfield Expressway could have $12.8B impact, study says
The cumulative economic impact of the Coalfields Expressway (CFX) during a 50-year span is estimated to be $12.8 billion in 2021 dollars, according to a study by Richmond-based Chmura Economics & Analytics presented Tuesday. The CFX is a proposed limited-access highway that would run through Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia. It is designated as […]
Patrick County flooring company announces $9.3M expansion
Ten Oaks LLC, a manufacturer of residential hardwood floors, will invest $9.3 million in a sorting and stacking facility in Patrick County, creating 11 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. The company was established in 2004 in the town of Stuart and was acquired in 2019 by Canadian company Boa-Franc. The new facility is located […]
Roanoke biz to create 30 jobs in Scott County
Roanoke-based VFP Inc. will invest $7.2 million to expand in Scott County, creating 30 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. The expansion will allow VFP to produce larger concrete shelters. “Great workers live in Southwest Virginia, and companies like VFP recognize that,” Northam said in a statement. “Virginia is advancing manufacturing across the commonwealth, and […]
Damascus sees hike in trail tourism
On a September afternoon, Stuart Wright was trying to persuade a tourist to bring her son back to visit the town of Damascus in Washington County. “Bring that little boy down here and he can play in the river, he can hike, he can bike the trail,” Wright coaxed. “Bring him where he’s got something […]
Scott County Tempur Sealy bedding factory to add 25 jobs
Tempur Sealy International Inc. is expanding its Duffield facility in Scott County, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority announced Thursday. The bedding company known for its Tempur-Pedic, Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster mattresses, among others, is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, but has two manufacturing facilities: one in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and one in Southwes[...]
Va. projects get $2.5 million from Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative is granting three Virginia projects a total of $2.5 million, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. “As our economy recovers from the impacts of COVID-19, it is critical to invest in Appalachia,” Northam said in a statement. “ARC’s POWER initiative will c[...]
State awards $8.85M to redevelop SWVA abandoned mine sites
The Virginia Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program intends to award funds to eight economic development projects across Southwest Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, announced Friday. The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, which will be renamed the Virginia Department of Energy on Oct. 1, administers the program. The […]
