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Eggs in several baskets
Southern Virginia ended 2019 with some of the largest investments the region has seen in recent years and strong economic momentum — a far cry from 15 to 20 years ago when the area experienced downfalls in employment and capital investment after the textiles industry moved operations outside the country. Last July, the positiv[...]
The Hail Mary
Football isn’t the only occupation in which a wild, slim-chance pass can deliver a win. Last fall, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Danville and Pittsylvania County officials launched a Hail Mary economic pitch that landed a $57.89 million expansion project from Michigan-based van manufacturer Morgan Olson LLC[...]
Dominion to build yet another solar facility for Facebook
Dominion Energy Inc. will build a solar facility in Greensville County — its eighth facility to be dedicated to Facebook Inc., the company announced Thursday. The Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the 100-megawatt project, Sadler Solar, on Jan. 22, and the facility is expected to be operational by the end of this year. Dominion will […]
Morgan Olson training program set to start in March
The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, launched last fall by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, is set to begin its first big project in March, training an estimated 703 people to work at Morgan Olson LLC’s new plant in the Danville area at no cost to the employer. Many will train in classrooms and the welding [&[...]
Amazon HQ2 and Arlington County government will be solar powered
Arlington County and Amazon.com Inc. have entered into agreements with Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc. to purchase power for local government operations and Amazon’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters from a solar farm more than 200 miles away in Southern Virginia. The Arlington County Board voted Tuesday to approve the agree[...]
New Sim Lab gives nursing students real-life experience
If you thought simulators were just for pilots and astronauts, think again. Nursing students at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) can now train on complex, real-life patient-care scenarios inside the Clinical Simulation Lab for Nursing Education at Sovah Health’s Martinsville campus. The Sim Lab, which opens this month, f[...]
Follow up: Casino gaming could create 7,600+ jobs
Five proposed casinos, sports wagering and online casino gaming would directly create about 7,600 jobs, according to projections released in late November by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. However, the five casinos combined would generate $367 million in net annual state tax revenue — less than the Virgin[...]
Two more solar plants coming to Danville
Two five-megawatt AC solar power plants are being built in Danville and will support 125 jobs in Virginia, the city announced today. The two solar projects — Irish Road Solar and Whitmell Solar — will span 100 acres and will generate an estimated 23,886,000 kilowatt-hours annually — enough energy to supply energy to 59,000 homes […]
New bus routes will connect Danville to D.C., Martinsville to Richmond
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will launch two new Virginia Breeze intercity bus service routes connecting Danville to Washington, D.C., and Martinsville to Richmond in spring 2020, the department announced Tuesday. The 2-year-old Virginia Breeze, funded by the federal Rural Transit Assistance 5311 Pro[...]
Appalachian Power awards $57,500 in economic development grants
Appalachian Power awarded a total of $57,500 to nine Virginia organizations through the energy company’s Economic Development Growth Enhancement (EDGE) program, the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) announced Friday. SVRA was awarded $16,500 for marketing materials and videos of the southern region and regional mega-sites. “We are thankful for the support that Appalachian Power provides […][...]
Danville’s Telly Tucker will lead Arlington Economic Development
Telly Tucker, director of economic development in Danville, is leaving next month to lead Arlington County’s economic development department, the city of Danville announced Thursday. “It was a tremendous opportunity,” Tucker said Thursday in a phone interview. “My heart will always be in Danville for the opportunity they[...]
Indoor farm to create 92 jobs in Danville-Pittsylvania County
New Jersey-based AeroFarms is investing $42 million to construct a 150,000 indoor vertical farm in Cane Creek Centre, a joint industrial park for Danville and Pittsylvania County. The facility will create 92 jobs. AeroFarms employs a proprietary growing technology to produce leafy greens through aeroponics, a process in which plants are grown outside soil on […]
