Grant sparks welding class reality at SVHEC

Construction is set to begin in June on a new welding classroom at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, making it the only one of its kind in Halifax County.

Workforce training in welding here got the green light Thursday when the Virginia Tobacco Commission approved the higher education center's $154,114 grant request during a meeting in South Hill.

Currently welding training does not exist in Halifax County with welding students having to travel to nearby community colleges to take the classes.

The recently approved grant funds will be used to modify existing unfinished space in the outdoor classroom at the Innovation Center of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center to house the newly-developed workforce training welding program.

According to Dr. Betty Adams, executive director of the higher education center, construction on the welding classroom is expected to start in June and be complete by May of next year with the first welding students being admitted to class in August of 2014.

The welding program for Halifax County competed with 10 other applications this year to receive a portion of the remaining $641,098 in Southside Economic Development grant funds.

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Italian Delight Wins 2013 US Chamber's Blue Ribbon Award

South Boston's Italian Delight Family Restaurant has won the US Chamber of Commerce's 2013 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award^®! Winners of the award represent the 100 best in American business. 

“The Blue Ribbon Award winners show that, even facing uncertainty and economic challenges, small businesses can grow and succeed,” said Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber president and CEO. “They are America’s economic engine, driving growth and job creation all across this country.”

All Blue Ribbon recipients will be recognized during America's Small Business Summit, where an overall winner will be announced and will receive one complimentary registration to attend the summit, courtesy of Sam's Club^®.

Last year at America’s Small Business Summit 2012, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce honored Italian Delight with the Community Excellence Award, recognizing the success it has achieved in the eyes of its employees, customers and community.

RFP - Green View Advanced Manufacturing Center renovations

The Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County is pleased to announce that, with the assistance of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, we are about to begin Phase 2 of the renovations to Green View Advanced Manufacturing & Training Center.

You can find the RFP for this phase of work on our website under the RFP's link.

The IDA continues its efforts to renovate the site, building exterior and potions of the building interior at Green View. It is anticipated that this will take up to five years and cost $4.5M. The IDA has received a grant from the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission and Halifax County, Virginia for the continued improvements of Green View. The property is located on Green's Folly Road in Halifax County. It contains 33.87 acres, and an existing abandoned 400,000SF manufacturing plant with outbuildings, formerly known as Daystrom.

The deadline to respond to the RFP is February 21, 2013.

Revamping our communications & technology

They say to make an omelet; you have to break a few eggs. Well, here at the Halifax Industrial Development Authority, for the past several months we've been doing just that – along with everything else in the kitchen - including the sink.

Since last fall we have been working with Glerin Business Resources to improve our technology and make finding the information you are looking for more accessible. To that end, we have completely overhauled our website, updated our Twitter and Facebook homepages (please follow and like us!) and added more information to YouTube (with our partners at the Riverstone Energy Center). We invite you to check out all the updates and give our website a hard workout. Check the links, open the tabs, download the pdf's, evaluate the navigation and if you find something that isn't working, or if you can't find something you are looking for, please let us know. After all we are building this resource for you, so by all means, take it for a spin and provide us feedback.

There are more exciting things on the horizon, so we hope you will continue to read our newsletter and stay tuned. From all of us at the Halifax IDA, we hope your 2013 is off to as an exciting and productive start as ours.

Cowan named to Halifax County IDA board

Mattie Cowan, lead project analyst for Century Link, has been appointed to the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority.

Cowan fills the IDA seat being vacated by Marcus Hargrave at the end of the month. Hargrave, local director of the YMCA, has served two full terms on the IDA and was not eligible for reappointment.

Cowan was recommended for the post by the IDA board and the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved her appointment on Thursday during the annual Strategic Planning retreat at Riverstone Technology Park.

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Halifax County jobless rate remains same at 8.7 percent

The jobs outlook in Halifax County remained the same in November as it was in October, holding its own at 8.7 percent, according to the latest Virginia Employment Commission data released Tuesday.

Some 14,923 county residents were employed out of a total labor force of 16,338. The VEC said 1,415 county residents were looking for jobs during that month.

Halifax County's jobless rate in November a year ago stood at 9.6 percent, according to VEC archive data.

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Energy center director a finalist in quest to solve phenomenon

A lifelike animated video that seeks to answer an age-old mystery that's baffled scientists for more than 2,000 years has landed a Southside energy center director in an elite group of finalists.

The question, which by itself may seem simple, asks how does hot water freeze faster than cold water? However, proving the phenomenon is something that's awed chemistry lovers for centuries.

Doug Corrigan, executive director of the Riverstone Energy Center in Halifax County, has been selected as a top 11 finalist in The Royal Society of Chemistry/Hermes 2012 Mpemba effect competition, according to a news release from the energy center.
Corrigan earned ranks on the short list "because of his engaging cartoon and compelling explanation," according to the society's website.

About 22,000 entries were submitted from more than 120 countries.

"I entered the competition because I have always been excited about answering scientific questions for which there seems to be no solution," Corrigan said on the website.

The Mpemba effect is named after Erasto Mpemba, a Tanzanian student who made the claim that warmer water freezes faster than colder water, but to this day scientists are still baffled as to how this happens, according to the release.

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As old textile mill comes down, Halifax eyes new business, jobs

D. H. Griffin, who now owns the Burlington property on Cowford Road in Halifax, has begun demolition of the former textile plant.

Demolition is expected to be complete by the spring.

The Town of Halifax anticipates partnering with the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority to market the property to potential businesses once demolition is complete. The ultimate goal is to salvage and recycle material from demolition and make the property available to potential buyers who may bring new business and jobs to the area.

The Pacific Mills Co. constructed the building in 1946, and Burlington Industries acquired the building in 1955 when it bought out the company. The Halifax plant was part of the Worsted Fabric Division of Burlington Industries, which included five other plants.

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