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Southern Va. Big Deal: Microporous’ mega project
Microporous’ decision to invest $1.35 billion to build a battery component plant in Pittsylvania County is a mega deal not just for the region but for the state. “The company will create over 2,000 jobs in multiple phases and the potential is there for, frankly, additional job creation beyond that,” says Matt Rowe, the cou[...]
Southern Va. Year-in-Review: Major projects landed in region
For Danville and Pittsylvania County, 2024 was a monumental year. In November 2024, battery-component manufacturer Microporous broke ground on a $1.3 billion plant at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill, where it expects to create 2,015 jobs. The following month in Danville, Caesars Virginia hosted the grand opening of [...]
Va. casinos report more than $72M in January revenue
January gaming revenues from Virginia’s casinos totaled $72.34 million, according to a report from the Virginia Lottery released Friday. Last month, Hard Rock Bristol casino reported about $18.52 million in adjusted gaming revenues (wagers minus winnings), of which about $15.16 million came from 1,486 slots and $3.36 million c[...]
Goodyear to cut 850 jobs in Danville
About 850 jobs will be cut by the end of the year at Goodyear’s tire manufacturing facility in Danville, according to a document the tiremaker posted Tuesday. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which is headquartered in Ohio, reached an agreement on Jan. 30 with the United Steelworkers union “to reduce the company’s produ[...]
Bassett returns to profitability in Q4, beats expectations
Bassett Furniture reported revenue of $84.3 million in the fourth quarter, an 11% decrease from last year, on Wednesday. However, a positive operating income of $900,000 means the company has returned to profitability after five consecutive quarters in the red. The Henry County home furniture manufacturer and retailer beat expec[...]
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 t[...]
Microporous secures $100M federal grant toward $1.3B Pittsylvania plant
Microporous, the Tennessee company planning to invest $1.3 billion to build a battery separator manufacturing facility in Pittsylvania County, has been formally awarded $100 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, part of which will go toward the new plant. The company was among seven businesses chosen in November 2023 to re[...]
Proposed $8.8B+ Pittsylvania data center campus hits roadblock
So many Pittsylvania County residents turned out to voice their — predominantly opposed — opinions regarding a proposed $8.8 billion-plus data center campus and natural gas power plant that a county planning commission meeting ran about five hours Tuesday, ending around 11:40 p.m. As the meeting neared its end, Steven Gould,[...]
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 f[...]
Greensville ‘bouncing back’ after Boar’s Head plant closure
Nearly three months after Boar’s Head shut down its Jarratt plant, North Carolina-based Carolina Structural Systems announced Nov. 25 that it would spend $5.5 million to build a manufacturing site for custom trusses and similar products in Greensville County, adding 58 jobs. The county’s economic development director, Natali[...]
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 acq[...]
Hundreds pack into Caesars Virginia on opening day
Hundreds of people descended upon Danville’s Main Street Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the $800 million Caesars Virginia, the third permanent casino to open in the state. Caesars didn’t shortchange on spectacle for the first day. A faux Roman legionary struggled to climb out of a Rolls-Royce to join Vegas-style[...]
