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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[...]
Amid financial concerns, Averett University names new leadership
Averett University announced Wednesday that its board has appointed David Joyce as its 15th president. Tiffany Franks, who has served nearly 17 years as president of the Danville private university, will retire Jan. 5, 2025. The leadership change comes following months of headlines about the school’s financial woes and cost-sa[...]
Caesars delays Danville casino’s opening by 5 days
The $750 million Caesars Virginia resort in Danville will host grand opening festivities on Dec. 17 instead of Dec. 12 as previously announced, Nevada’s Caesars Entertainment announced Friday afternoon. On hand will be retired Chicago Bulls basketball star and five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman, who will lead a parade of rac[...]
Paver manufacturer to invest $47M for Pittsylvania facility
Cambridge Pavers, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of pavers, slabs and wall systems, will invest $47.35 million to establish a 150,000-square-foot facility at Ringgold East Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. Virginia competed with North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Massachu[...]
Customer bankruptcy, severance charges push Hooker’s loss in Q3
Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings reported consolidated net sales of $104.4 million in the third quarter ended Oct. 27, a decrease of $12.5 million, or 10.7%, from last year. It also reported an operating loss of $7.3 million, marking its third quarterly loss in a row. The company attributed ongoing low demand as a reason fo[...]
Van maker repays state grant after Pittsylvania layoffs
Morgan Olson has paid back a $500,000 Virginia Port Authority grant after the Michigan-based manufacturer of walk-in step vans failed to employ an agreed-upon number of workers at its facility at the Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County. It’s not the jubilant future economic developers had envisioned when c[...]
