Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Wednesday’s ribbon cutting at the newly opened Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites has added 85 rooms to the lodging landscape in South Boston and Halifax County.

Located on Highway 58 between Highway 360 and U.S. 501, the hotel has a conference room, outdoor patio and an indoor pool and exercise room, and has created almost 20 new jobs.

The hotel has 25 suites and 60 standard rooms, and the brand serves business travelers during the week and vacationers and families on the weekend.

James Edmunds, vice-chairman of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, said the hotel is a welcome addition to the county.

“It’s a boon to tourism, economic development and everything that goes with it,” said Edmunds, who expressed the county’s gratitude for locating the hotel here. “We want it filled to capacity every day and I know the owners would also.  The owners could have chosen many other directions but chose instead to locate here.  It was needed, and I hope we get more opportunities like this property in the future.”

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WoodLINKS Students Win 1st Place at Las Vegas Competition

Program Wins Honors in Its Very First Year

It was a gamble that paid off. Last fall, when the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) partnered with Halifax County High School to bring the WoodLINKS, USA program to the county, it was part innovation and part experiment. Could new teachers be successful with a new curriculum with students who’d never experienced anything like it before? Ten months later with a class project that is a work of art and a first place finish in a national competition, there is no doubt that the bet on WoodLINKS was the right move.

July 14-18, recent high school graduates John Barry and McKenzie Stevens travelled to Las Vegas with their WoodLINKS instructors, Clint Johnson and Kevin Chrystie to compete in the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) Fresh Wood Student Competition.

The competition is the largest of its kind, and highlights outstanding construction and design achievements by students. The competition was stiff as the HCHS students competed against students from across the United States. But it was Barry & Stevens who came out on top, winning first place honors in the High School Class Project category. “It was the best feeling I ever had in my entire life. Ever. Nothing else even comes close,” said John Barry. “I have to agree with John,” said Barry’s partner in the class project, McKenzie Stevens. “When we heard our names called I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was an emotional day,” he said.

The awards for the Fresh Wood Student Competition were handed out at the AWFS Awards Dinner that included leaders and CEO’s in the wood industry. “After the awards were handed out,” recalls instructor Kevin Chrystie, “there were many people that came by and  congratulated both John and McKenzie on their achievement. It was really wonderful to be there to witness their future unfold before their eyes. “I can’t express how proud we are of them,” said WoodLINKS instructor Clint Johnson. “To see your students have an achievement like this is a great feeling for an instructor and really positive for the program itself,” he said. For their part, the students credit their WoodLINKS instructors for making their success possible.

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WoodLINKS Students Heading to National Competition in Las Vegas

Two students in Halifax County High School’s WoodLINKS, USA dual enrollment program are headed to Las Vegas to compete in the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) Fresh Wood Student Competition. Recent high school graduates John Barry and McKenzie Stevens will be representing the WoodLINKS program as they compete against high school students from across the United States.

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Local Company Featured in Wall Street Journal Video

Flag Business Flying High

Annin & Co. is the largest flag manufacturer in the U.S., and IDA Board Member Bill Kellehar is the Plant Manager at the company's Virginia factory here in South Boston.  WSJ's Shawn Bender reports on how the flags are made at the South Boston factory, and how the business is holding up in the recession.

Ariel Atom in June "Car and Driver"

Ariel Atom 3 - Specialty File

Small tweaks and a berserk Honda powertrain make the near-perfect Atom lighter, faster, and better.

BY DAVE VANDERWERP, PHOTOGRAPHY BY VICTOR NEWMAN
Car and Driver, June 2009

Those who weren’t among the half-dozen anxious souls who had an Atom on order as its former U.S. builder, Brammo Motorsports, closed its doors are excused for missing the track toy’s one-year hiatus. The builder’s baton has since been passed to TMI AutoTech, a recently formed U.S. subsidiary of Canadian firm Trak Motorsports, which ran the Ariel Atom Experience [Upfront, October 2007] and, in March 2008, set up operations in a 10,000-square-foot warehouse on the grounds of Virginia International Raceway. The first Atom emerged in January from TMI’s facility, where the steel-tube frame is bent and welded and the car is painstakingly hand-built by the company’s five employees. TMI plans to produce 50 cars this year and with additional staff, 100 the next.

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IDA Places Billboard at South Boston Speedway

Live Work Play…Imagine Your Tomorrow in Halifax County, Virginia. This is one of the newest banners posted at South Boston Speedway that can be seen by race fans.

The IDA wants to capitalize on the racing audience by promoting Halifax County and supporting America’s Hometown Track. “The banners promote the newly redesigned IDA website” stated Nancy Smith, Marketing and Research Director for the IDA. “We are excited to team up with Halifax County Tourism and South Boston Speedway to promote Halifax County,” she continued.

The IDA along with Tourism and South Boston Speedway are sponsoring a race in August. The race is slated for Saturday, August 1^st and is called “Imagine Halifax 150 Late Model/Limited/Pure Stock/Legendary Flatheads.”

DCC’s Rapid Prototyping Gives Local Entrepreneur a National Boost

Danville, VA -- What started as a passing observation while watching a TV show is turning into major entrepreneurial success for one Halifax businessman.  It was three years ago when Paul Davis was watching a home show on the HGTV network.  Although each of the show’s featured homes was quite beautiful, they all had one major detractor in the kitchen.

“A horribly messy refrigerator,” the owner of South Boston’s Sears store recalls.  “Papers, pictures, magnets, you name it – they were all covered with it.”

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TOURISM WORKS for Your Halifax County Business

Meet with Virginia Tourism at the Prizery on August 19, 2009

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