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Tempur Sealy to invest $16.7M in Scott County manufacturing facility
Bedding product designer, manufacturer and distributor Tempur Sealy International Inc. will invest $16.7 million to expand its Scott County operation, creating 25 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. “Southwest Virginia has been an ideal base of operations for Tempur Sealy for nearly 20 years because of the region’s proximity to major interstates and access to […]
SW Va. aims to attract data centers via regional tax pact
As part of an effort to entice data centers to locate in the region, Southwest Virginia leaders announced Tuesday a joint agreement to set what will be Virginia’s lowest regional property tax rate on data center equipment. The localities comprising the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority — Dickenson, Lee, [...]
Regional reboot
Public and private investments are boosting the economy in Southwest Virginia, bringing in a diversified group of new companies, from indoor salmon farming to medical information technology firms — as well as a long-awaited casino. Addressing the region’s steady decline in the coal industry, officials in the Southwestern reg[...]
Payout on a dream
“Get it done!” Those three words sent Jason Eige and Martin Kent on a mission to bring a casino to Bristol Mall before commercial gaming resorts were even legal in Virginia. Eige, general counsel for The United Co., and Kent, the oil and gas company’s president and chief operating officer, vividly remember the day th[...]
Textiles startup opening Buchanan County sewing factory
Local textiles manufacturing startup Maine Five is opening a sewing factory at Buchanan County’s Council Industrial Park building. Investing $350,000 in the 17,211-square-foot factory space, the company is immediately hiring 12 workers and has plans to employ to 100 total workers by 2026. Founded in 2020, Maine Five manufa[...]
Appalachian Power issues RFP for solar, wind projects
Appalachian Power Co. on Monday issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for up to 300 megawatts of solar and/or wind generation resources. This is the first in a string of RFPs that the company will issue this year to comply with the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires that the company achieve 100% carbon-free energy […]
Health Wagon says it hasn’t received COVID-19 vaccine doses
The head of The Health Wagon, the Wise County-based free clinic system that serves more than 5,600 patients in Southwest Virginia, many with medical vulnerabilities, said in a Thursday interview on “CBS This Morning” that the clinic has not received any COVID-19 vaccine doses from the state government. According to t[...]
Northam named Appalachian Regional Commission states’ co-chair
The Appalachian Regional Commission announced Wednesday its 13 governors have elected Gov. Ralph Northam to serve as ARC’s states’ co-chair for 2021. As co-chair, Northam will work with the federal co-chair to invest in economic growth and development across the 13-state Appalachian region. In fiscal year 2020, ARC, a fede[...]
$10M to be disbursed among mine land reclamation projects
A $10 million round of federal Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot Program funding is available for Southwest Virginia projects focused on reclaiming abandoned mine land and promoting regional economic diversity, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. This is the fourth round of AML funding, which is administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. Projects […]
VEC to relocate, expand Buchanan County call center
Amid record-breaking unemployment claims filed during the pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) will relocate and expand its Buchanan County customer service call center, adding up to 110 jobs, the agency announced Friday. The need for relocation and extra space began last year as more VEC employees responded to iss[...]
Power contract keeps third-party solar out of reach
More than 40 years ago, local governments in Appalachian Power’s service area banded together to negotiate rates. Now, Rocky Mount Town Manager James Ervin, chair of the steering committee that leads negotiations, says that’s worked out well. “We pay a rate that is considerably less than a comparable private sector busines[...]
Former executive sues New Peoples Bank for discrimination
Mary Trigiani, a marketing consultant and native of Big Stone Gap, has sued Russell County-based New Peoples Bank for discrimination and wrongful termination. She was employed as senior vice president of strategic planning and development at the community bank from 2017 until 2019, when her position was eliminated. In a suit filed Jan. 1 with […]
