For the Record – Shenandoah Valley, June 2013

The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton has been awarded a $100,000 grant in order to move forward with artisan projects. The grant, given by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, will support the Virginia Artisan Center Planning Project. The project entails an artisan center feasibility study to see if it would be economically sound and where the facility would be, a release said. The proposed artisan center will be a hub for artisan activities and a visitor center for tourists. (The News Leader)

Harrisonburg-based James Madison University and Winchester-based Shenandoah University were featured in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.” This year’s green colleges guide profiles 320 institutions of higher education in the United States and two in Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Eight other colleges in Virginia were also featured on the list. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Several Shoney’s restaurants have closed, including the Staunton and Harrisonburg locations. The two restaurants closed in April, eliminating more than 100 jobs. (www.whsv.com)

Winchester-based Trex, which manufactures wood-alternative decking and railing, has captured three first-place rankings in Builder magazine’s 2013 brand use study. Trex was named No. 1 in “brand familiarity,” “brand used the most” and “brand used in the past two years” for the composite/PVC decking category. In addition, Trex earned high marks for quality. (News release)   

Winchester-based Valley Health has pledged $300,000 to help kick-start career-readiness programs with a health-care focus in 12 schools, including two in Page County and three in Shenandoah County. The funding will be staggered among six localities over three years. Liza Zerull, program manager and academic liaison for Valley Health, said the money is intended to give the school systems the momentum to fund the programs independently in the fourth year. As the baby boomer generation ages, Zerull said, there is a growing need for more health professionals. “It’s really a twofold need: It’s not only to care for the baby boomers but also to take over the jobs left behind when they retire,” she said. (Daily News-Record)

WhiteWave Foods plans to expand its operations in Rockingham County, creating 36 jobs. The expansion is the result of increased demand for Silk, Horizon Organic, International Delight and Land ’O Lakes products, according to Jim Peacock, vice president of supply chain at WhiteWave. The company plans to spend $69.8 million, which will be used to build a new warehouse and to acquire machinery to expand production. Virginia competed against Texas for the project. (VirginiaBusiness.com)