Va. Coalfield Economic Development Authority establishes $1M Renewable Energy Fund
The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) announced Thursday it has established a $1 million Renewable Energy Fund from coal tax credit funds. “With the establishment of the Renewable Energy Fund, VCEDA is poised to readily assist in the development of renewable energy projects, which will add new jobs and investment to the region and […]
Report: Half of SWVA households earned less than basic living cost in 2018
More than 50% of Southwest Virginia households in 2018 lived in poverty or earned less than the basic cost of living, according to a report released Thursday by the United Ways of Virginia. Using the “ALICE” acronym — asset-limited, income-constrained and employed — the United Ways of Virginia reported that 51% of Southwest households were […]
Abingdon investment advisory firm names chief investment officer
Investment adviser Concord Asset Management, a division of Abingdon-based Concord Wealth Partners, announced Monday it has hired Mitch York as its inaugural chief investment officer. York was most recently the manager of portfolios and investment with Fairfax-based Edelman Financial Services, where he managed a $24 billion inv[...]
Commercial real estate lease roundup
Northern Virginia L3Harris Technologies Inc. renewed its lease of 6,357 square feet of office space at 17021 Combs Drive in King George County. Chris Russotti and Jamie A. Scully of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the landlord. Floors by Design leased 9,900 square feet of industrial space at […]
SWVA guardrail manufacturer announces $7.9M expansion
Nine months of hard work has paid off. Since February, InvestSWVA has been working with highway guardrail manufacturer SPIG Industry LLC on its expansion plans, and on Thursday Gov. Ralph Northam announced the Washington County-based company’s plans to invest $7.9 million to expand its operations in the Bristol-Washington [...]
Virginia is ‘ready’ to distribute COVID-19 vaccine, governor says
Gov. Ralph Northam and State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said Tuesday that Virginia will be ready to launch a vaccination program as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Oliver said that he is encouraged by Pfizer’s announcement this week that its COVID vaccine un[...]
Tazewell County directs $363K in CARES funding to Carilion Clinic
As Southwest Virginia continues to see a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday it is allocating $363,000 in federal CARES Act funding to Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic to be used to expand telemedicine and COVID-19 testing, as well as to improve access to primary care and specialty care services. “The […]
Driven by SW Va., state’s COVID-19 rate rises to 6.1%
Virginia’s number of COVID-19 cases jumped by more than 10,000 last week, bringing the state’s positivity rate to 6.1%, up from 5.8% on Nov. 2, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s report Monday, Nov. 9. The sharpest increases have been seen in the Roanoke region and Southwest Virginia, where neighboring states also have seen […]
GO Virginia funds $9M in workforce development, economic recovery grants
The Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) state economic development initiative has allocated grants totaling more than $9 million for workforce development and assisting communities with economic recovery, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. A $7.8 million allocation will support 11 regional projects and two statewide projects aimed at workforce development initiatives. Another allocation […][...]
Six SWVA projects receive ARC funding
More than $3.9 million in funding will go toward recovery health programs, broadband infrastructure expansion, workforce development, natural gas line improvements and rural tourism and job growth efforts in Southwest Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. The funding will be disbursed through six Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization […][...]
$1.2M grant approved for Dickenson County industrial site
A grant for up to $1.2 million in infrastructure improvements to the Red Onion Industrial Site in Dickenson County was recently approved by Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority board. The funds, which will be given to the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority, will be used to help finance site grading, site development, access road construction […]
SW Va. sees COVID increase; governor urges caution
Although Virginia’s overall COVID-19 infection rate is much lower than other states that are currently experiencing spikes, the number of new cases in Southwest Virginia has been steadily increasing over the past two weeks, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday in a COVID-19 update. According to health directors in the region,[...]