Southern Virginia is Choice for Livability

Offering stable taxes and average wages 24% below the national average, Southern Virginia is a region built on manufacturing that delivers strategic access to markets, a skilled talent pool, and innovative, targeted workforce training.

Southern Virginia Regional Alliance

 

 

Ballad Brewery, Danville

Key Companies in Southern Virginia

Because of its accessible location and stable, business-friendly environment, the area has attracted both national and international companies from a wide variety of industries, including plastic manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, information technology, biotechnology/pharmaceuticals, and auto supply manufacturing.

Danville
Danville

Regional Highlights

Southern Virginia is made up of four counties (Halifax, Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania) and the cities of Danville and Martinsville. With a rich history in high-performance manufacturing and the infrastructure in place to support its growth, 18% of the region’s total labor force of nearly 100,000 is employed in manufacturing.

The region enhances the business community with a high level of support and involvement in the arts, as well as recreational opportunities like professional motorsports and outdoor, water-related activities at four major lakes.

Location

Southern Virginia is located along the Virginia/North Carolina state line at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An excellent highway system coupled with easy access to interstates make the region extremely well-suited to reach Mid-Atlantic markets and international shipping facilities.

  • High-quality, four-lane divided highways service the area, providing convenient access to major interstates: I-77 (5 miles), I-81 (18 miles), I-85 (18 miles), I-40 (30 miles), I-73 (36 miles), and I-64 (45 miles).
  • Freight rail service is provided by Norfolk Southern.
  • The region offers a direct route to the Mid-Atlantic gateway at The Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads.
  • The Virginia TradePort, located at the New River Valley Airport in Dublin, is 57 miles northwest.
  • Three regional airports provide general aviation services, and commercial air service is offered at Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH – 45.5 miles), Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. (GSO – 48.3 miles), and Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA – 56.3 miles).

Our flagship operation’s continued achievements in manufacturing excellence has been driven by a highly skilled and engaged workforce.

Dave Bennett Vice President of Operations, Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (IPG)

Choose Southern Virginia

Talent Development in Southern Virginia

Residents in the region have access to high-quality public, private, and magnet schools, as well as workforce training programs throughout the region.

K-12 Education

Galileo Magnet High School

Established in 2002, Galileo Magnet High School is a public high school located in Danville that offers a technology-based curriculum with four strands of study, including Advanced Biotechnology, Communications and Networking, Publications, and Theatre Performance and Communication.

Piedmont Governor’s School

The Piedmont Governor’s School for Mathematics, Science & Technology is a public magnet school with campuses in Martinsville and Danville. The school serves students in their junior and senior years and offers a rigorous, STEM-focused curriculum. While enrolled, students also have the opportunity to obtain their Associate’s degree in parallel at one of two local community colleges.

The Early College at Guilford

A partnership between Guilford College and Guilford County Schools, The Early College at Guilford provides a rigorous academic schedule consisting of a heavy load of honors and AP classes in the first two years, and dual enrollment classes in the second two years, graduating with a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit.

Workforce and Training Solutions

Danville Community College and Patrick Henry Community College

Danville Community College and Patrick Henry Community College design comprehensive training programs to suit any business’s needs, and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research develops and attracts technology and talent critical to Southern Virginia’s economic transformation.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) engages the resources of Virginia Tech, Danville Community College, Averett University, and other partners to grow innovation and stimulate economic opportunity. The Analytical Chemistry group offers elite testing services and the Advanced Materials team provides cutting-edge characterization and processing capabilities. IALR proudly promotes sustainable solutions for enhanced agricultural production around the globe with the Plant Endophyte Research Center and access to a live bacteria library with over 2,000 endophytes. Most recently, IALR has partnered with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech to launch a Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center on IALR’s campus. The Center will leverage technology and research to accelerate advancements, economic development, and regional participation in the developing industry of indoor farming, which is expected to exceed $4 billion this year. The IALR campus also hosts offices for the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Morgan Olson, Danville
Microsoft, Mecklenburg County

Morgan Olson, LLC Steps into Southern Virginia

Southern Virginia boasts a rich legacy of manufacturing and offers world-class training institutions that are partnering with the company to create specific programs to prepare its new workforce. Morgan Olson’s investment will further bolster this 21st-century industry sector in the region and the Commonwealth for many years to come.

Read the Full Case Study

Microsoft Corporation’s Expanding Virginia Footprint

Since its original announcement in 2010, Microsoft has expanded the Mecklenburg operation six times. Microsoft’s corporate presence in Mecklenburg County has expanded access to high-speed broadband services and supported skills training for IT positions, and the company has invested to increase renewable energy access. In May 2018, Microsoft announced the purchase of 315-megawatts of energy from two new solar projects in Virginia, which represented the single largest corporate purchase of solar energy in the United States.

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Living in Southern Virginia

Southern Virginia was built on a strong work ethic that continues into the 21st century, and its small-town charm is complemented by plentiful opportunities for arts, culture, and recreation. Steeped in motorsports history, the region boasts VIRginia International Raceway in Halifax County, one of the world’s finest road courses; South Boston Motor Speedway, a NASCAR-sanctioned race track that has hosted Busch Series Grand National Racing since 1982; and the Martinsville Speedway, which hosts four major NASCAR-sponsored auto races attracting in excess of 100,000 spectators annually.

The Riverwalk on the Dan is a popular amenity valued for its natural beauty, and four major lakes in the region provide a large variety of water-related activities like swimming, wind surfing, water-skiing, boating, fishing, and sailing.

Arts are a priority in the region, and the array of options includes the Museum of Fine Arts and History in Danville, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; the Piedmont Arts Association, which sponsors many workshops, displays, and special events; and the Virginia Museum of Natural History, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Martinsville. TheaterWorks, Piedmont Playmakers, the Martinsville Community Chorus, and the Martinsville Opera Society all provide outlets for amateur talent.

Danville Museum Of Fine Arts And History
River Walk, Danville
Martinsville Speedway