VCEDA seed grants sow small business growth
Adam Patterson knew if his fashion design company was going to thrive in his hometown of Big Stone Gap, he needed capital — and a new sewing machine. “Mine was so old, it sewed crooked stitches,” says Patterson, founder of Jones-Hurst Designs. Patterson received a $10,000 grant in September from a Virginia Coalfield Econom[...]
Electro-Mechanical launches $16.5M expansion in Washington County
Electro-Mechanical — an electrical equipment manufacturer headquartered in Bristol — will invest $16.55 million to expand in Washington County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. “Electro-Mechanical’s significant expansion in Washington County demonstrates the strength of Southwest Virginia‘s manufact[...]
Va. agricultural damage from Helene totals $159.3M
Hurricane Helene’s agricultural damage in Virginia totals more than $159.3 million, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension agents’ research. Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Gulf Coast in Florida as a Category 4 storm late on Sept. 26 and tore through the Southeast into Sept. 27, causing catastrophic floodi[...]
Va. casinos report $56.56M in September revenue
Gaming revenues for Virginia’s three casinos totaled $56.56 million in September, according to data the Virginia Lottery released Tuesday. Last month, the Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock reported about $14.09 million in adjusted gaming revenues (wagers minus winnings), of which about $11.68 million came from its 9[...]
Hard Rock Bristol to open permanent facility Nov. 14
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol will open its approximately $515 million permanent facility on Nov. 14, with country music star Blake Shelton making an appearance at the ceremony, its development team announced Wednesday. The temporary Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock opened July 8, 2022, making it VirginiaR[...]
EO opens workforce development hub in Abingdon
A former Kmart in Abingdon is now home to a workforce development and child care hub launched by EO, a nonprofit that spun off from the United Way of Southwest Virginia to oversee workforce development programs. EO received the certificate of occupancy for the 87,000-square-foot Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub and b[...]
For The Record October 2024
Central Virginia Fortune 500 company CarMax will be the naming sponsor for the Richmond Flying Squirrels‘ new ballpark starting with the 2026 season, the Double-A Minor League Baseball team announced Sept. 4. The Diamond’s replacement will be known as CarMax Park. Although Squirrels President and Managing Partner Lou DiBella said that the deal with CarMax […]
Manufacturer plans $5M expansion in Scott County
VFP, a manufacturer of enclosures used to protect critical infrastructure, will invest $5 million to expand its Scott County facility, a move expected to create 50 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The expansion will allow VFP to respond to a growing data center market. “Virginia’s robust data center indust[...]
Health Wagon CEO’s pay gains attention
Once best known outside the region for its role in an annual Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic at the Wise County Fairgrounds, Southwest Virginia‘s Health Wagon has gained new notoriety — and lost state funding — over executive pay. After Cardinal News reported in May that Health Wagon President and CEO Teresa Gardner [...]
SWVA projects recommended for $10M in federal grants
Four Southwest Virginia economic development projects have been recommended to receive a cumulative $10 million in federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grants, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, announced Monday. The projects are on sites where coal was mined prior to 1977, the yea[...]
Appalachian Community Capital to launch Green Bank
Appalachian Community Capital, the Christiansburg-based community development financial institution for the Appalachian Valley, plans to launch the Green Bank for Rural America with a $500 million award from the Environmental Protection Agency, it announced Friday. Focused on financing up to 2,000 new energy projects that could [...]
Va. casino gaming revenues total $59.3M in July
Casino gaming revenues for Virginia’s three casinos totaled $59.3 million in July, according to Virginia Lottery data released Thursday. Also, the $500 million HeadWaters Resort & Casino in Norfolk, which has been in a holding pattern for the past several months, could be moving forward. The Norfolk Architectural Revie[...]