Virginia MetalFab to invest $9M, expand in Appomattox

Virginia MetalFab, a provider of metal manufacturing and fabrication services, will invest $9 million to expand to a larger facility in Appomattox, with plans to create 130 jobs during the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.

The company will lease the former Thomasville Furniture plant, occupying 250,000 square feet to meet increased demand for its products and services.

“Today is a celebration of economic resurgence and revitalization for the town of Appomattox, and we thank Virginia MetalFab for creating high-quality, well-paid jobs and giving new life to this property,” Youngkin said in a statement. “This homegrown company is boosting the manufacturing industry in the region and will benefit from a skilled workforce that is primed to fill these positions. We look forward to a continued partnership with Virginia MetalFab in its next phase of growth.”

Virginia MetalFab was founded in 2002 to provide the equine industry with manufactured and customized products. The business then diversified to provide its fabrication and manufacturing services to a wider range of industries including energy, utilities, transportation and technology.

“Residing here in Central Virginia has helped propel our growth in part due to the central location of the North Carolina Triad, Washington, D.C., and Virginia’s own Eastern Shore,” Virginia MetalFab General Manager Brian Morris said in a statement. “As we looked to expand significantly, we determined this area provided the best opportunity for growth to continue to serve these high-growth areas. Additionally, for our future growth, we wanted to strategically be between the I-81 and I-95 corridors for simplified logistics both to the Northeast and Southeast. Moving to Appomattox was the cherry on top for our company’s expansion and we couldn’t be happier to partner with this community as we seek our continued growth.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and the town of Appomattox to secure the project and will support Virginia MetalFab’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment program.

“On behalf of the citizens of the town of Appomattox, I am thankful to the owners of Virginia MetalFab for moving their operations into the town,” Mayor Richard Connor said in a statement. “Even at this early stage of operation of their business, we see a dull building on the side of the road becoming the site of a thriving business. We look forward to their future providing employment to members of the community and kicking off a revitalization of manufacturing in Appomattox in hopes that it will draw additional companies into our community, showing that we are a location for business.”

Furniture Brands International closed its Thomasville Furniture factory in 2011, according to The News & Advance. At the time, it was the town’s second-biggest employer and 200 people were put out of work.