aCorridor Headlines

1. Marion sees $3.3 million investment, 40 jobs
   New beverage company brings vacant plant to life.
2. Smyth County welcomes resort project
   NASCAR notables lend support to 500-home development.
3. Business Appreciation Week activities
   Golf outings, industry breakfasts held in aCorridor.
4. Wythe company called a success story
   Also added to fastest growing list of Virginia companies.
5. From My Perspective...
   An update from Executive Director Tom Elliott.
6. around the aCorridor...
   Joint IDA hires Wytheville resident to economic development position. Bland County history archives receive funding. Carroll County studying idea of a prison in the county.

First Fruits Beverage Company LLC to locate in vacant bottling plant

First Fruits Beverage Company principals include, from left, Roger J. Catarino, president and CEO; Todd Hicks, vice president of sales; and Jack Tally, executive vice president and COO.

First Fruits Beverage Company LLC has announced it will invest $3.3 million, create 40 jobs within three years and bring new life to the former Pepsi bottling plant on Washington Avenue in Marion.  

The new plant, which is expected to begin taking employment applications in mid-July, will co-pack mainly organic beverages for a number of major beverage companies. The products will include teas, vitamin-enhanced and flavored waters and sports drinks, according to plant manager Larry Grabman. Local businessman Ernie Sullins, an investor and director of the new company and known for his clothing stores in the region, is credited by the principals of the company for their decision to bring the vacant plant back to life as a bottling facility.

Grabman said the Marion facility will be the company's sole location, and according to Roger Catarino, president and CEO, an international company has asked First Fruits to become its major East Coast bottler and another major brand is looking at the plant as a distribution hub.

Smyth County welcomes

Sheridan Ridge resort project

NASCAR celebrities came to Smyth County in March to announce a 500-home development being planned near Chilhowie. Called the Sheridan Ridge Private Reserve, the new development is planned for a 1,400-acre mountainous area and includes a 53-acre village center with retail shops, an amphitheater and other amenities.

Sheridan Ridge plans call for development of a 53-acre village center with shops and other amenities in this new mountain community in Smyth County.

Driver Tony Stewart and his crew chief Greg Zipadelli,  Virginia natives Elliott Sadler and Denny Hamlin and others, advisory board members for the resort project, attended the kick-off announcement and pledged their support for the upscale development.

Smyth County has approved zoning for Sheridan Ridge and development of the first phase of the project is under way. This first of six phases, according to the developers, will include some of the project's upscale homes, many of them owned by NASCAR celebrities.

New directory of products, builders

In anticipation of the massive construction activity associated with the Sheridan Ridge project, Smyth County is compiling a directory of home building products made in Smyth County to provide to the developers and builders to encourage the use of locally made products in the development.

According to Smyth County economic developer Sally Morgan, a directory of local building trade/craft persons is also being prepared. "We believe that this is another way we can benefit from this development, and it's a good way to promote the use of local building materials and trade and crafts persons," said Morgan.

For more information, contact Sally Morgan. smorgan@smythcounty.org.

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Business Appreciation Events

Various activities associated with business appreciation were held throughout the aCorridor in May.

More than 70 golfers participated in the Washington County Industrial Appreciation Golf Tournament at Glenrochie Country Club in Abingdon on May 13. The annual event was sponsored jointly by the Washington County Industrial Development Authority and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. This year's event included two special guests, Mike Lehmkuhler and Mike Carruth of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. A team of golfers from AGC Flat Glass, formerly AFG, won the tournament.

In Wythe County, 23 teams participated in the 2008 Industry Appreciation Golf Tournament and reception. Smyth County held an industry appreciation breakfast event.

Wytheville company is named 2007 Small Business Success Story

Virginia Business magazine has named MTC Transformers, formerly Magnetic Technologies, as the 2007 Small Business Success Story of the Year finalist for western Virginia.

The company was also included on the Virginia Business and Virginia Chamber of Commerce's Fantastic 50 list, which rates the 50 fastest growing privately held Virginia companies. The annual listing ranks MTC Transformers as the 43rd fastest growing company in the Commonwealth based on revenue. It is one of only a few companies to make the list outside of Northern Virginia or the Hampton Roads area.

Founded in Wytheville in 1985, the company designs, manufactures and services dry electrical transformers for industrial use. MTC Transformers has experienced phenomenal growth in a niche market, increasing revenues from $1 million in 1998 to $12 million in 2007.

From my perspective...

Tom Elliott                        Executive Director

2008 Year-to-Date Report Card

•  2 Expansions, 55 jobs, $4.1 Million capital investment.

• 1 New Industry, 40 jobs, $3.3 Million capital investment.

Total: 3 Announcements, 95 Jobs, $7.40 Million capital investment.

As was predicted, it has been a slow year for economic development so far. However, I’m pleased to report that we have seen a slight upturn in prospect activity in recent weeks. Some of this activity is new and some has been lingering since last year. I’m optimistic we could see some positive results before you receive our next newsletter.

Meanwhile, the economic development professionals representing our aCorridor localities made a terrific presentation to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in Richmond on May 28th, and I am continuing to work with the leadership at VEDP to ensure that we are maximizing our prospect activity through that important ally.

Most of the experts still believe that it will be well into First Quarter 2009 before we start to see a recovery, but let’s hope we get a head start. Stay tuned!

around the aCorridor...

The Joint IDA of Wythe County, Wytheville and Rural Retreat has hired Patrick Burton of Wytheville as associate director. A Smyth County native, Burton and his wife, Denise, moved back to Wytheville in December 2007. He began his duties July 1 and was formerly a planner in the Virginia Department of Transportation's Salem office. Burton is named to the position left vacant when former associate director Mike Webb took the job of economic development director for the Rockbridge County Partnership in Lexington.

Congressman Rick Boucher announced a federal grant for the Mountain Home Center located in Bland County. U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th, made a visit to Rocky Gap in May to announce a $27,500 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency toward the center that will house the Bland County History Archives. The grant will allow the county to purchase 25 laptop computers, 10 desktop computers, a network server, video cameras and audio recording equipment for use in conjunction with the place-based education facility.

Carroll County is forming a committee to research the idea of developing a state prison in the county. Carroll officials started the process recently of seeking through a newspaper ad three citizens to sit on the committee, who will share the task with two county supervisors. It is expected that the committee can do research and make a recommendation to the board of supervisors as to whether Carroll should try to attract a state prison as a way to create jobs.

The action comes as construction continues on a 1,024-bed, medium-security prison for men that will bring 350 jobs to neighboring Grayson County when it opens in 2010.

The Wythe County Community Hospital and Wellmont Health System announced an affiliation of the two facilities in late May. The hospital, which is owned by LifePoint Hospitals Inc., says the alliance with Wellmont, a leading healthcare provider in Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, will mean improved local service. The two providers say the affiliation is expected to serve people closer to home and minimize their need to leave the community to receive treatment in the areas of oncology and cardiology.

Marion's historical local landmark hotel is listed on the National Geographic Traveler's inaugural "stay list." The General Francis Marion Hotel was noted as a "Roaring Twenties vintage small town find" with a "careful 2006 restoration" and "millennial updates including flat-screen TVs and high-speed Internet." www.gfmhotel.com

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