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VHCC tech center to expand welding, diesel tech
Demand for welders is so great that some of Eddie Fultz’s Virginia Highlands Community College students are being hired for part-time jobs while they’re still completing their training. “We’re in a manufacturing area where we cannot meet the demand,” says Fultz, coordinator of VHCC’s welding program. “It’s a grea[...]
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 C[...]
Va. housing market broke records in 2021
Last year Virginia’s housing market was one for the record books, according to a new report released Jan. 21 by Virginia Realtors. In 2021, there were 154,340 home sales statewide, a 10.2% increase over 2020, according to the industry association. The median sales price was $350,000, a $30,000 jump, or 9.4% increase, from the previous […]
State awards $7M in grants to help with site readiness
Eleven commercial projects across the commonwealth will get a boost to help with site readiness, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The Virginia Business Ready Site program, administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, awarded $7 million in development grants. Having project-ready sites available has been a[...]
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 [...]
Va. invests $722M in broadband expansion
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam this week announced a state investment of $722 million in grants toward expanding high-speed internet service in 70 localities across the commonwealth. The governor says the funding will help Virginia achieve 90% of its universal broadband access goal by 2024. “Broadband access impacts every facet o[...]
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 exper[...]
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 […]
Construction begins on Hard Rock casino in Bristol
Construction has started on the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol’s temporary casino, with opening scheduled in the second quarter of 2022, Hard Rock International Inc. announced Thursday. Before its permanent casino is built, Hard Rock will build a 30,000-square-foot casino at the former Bristol Mall. It will feature 9[...]
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 […]
Grant program helps fund rural IT apprenticeships
Jonathon Evans graduated in May with a computer science degree and a desire to stay in his hometown, Abingdon. Fortunately for him, information technology company Wize Solutions LLC was seeking apprentices through a targeted state program that alleviates the cost of hiring and training employees new to the technology field. “I[...]
