Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 48)

CORPORATE MOVES Virginia Virginia Secures AWF Expansion Amidst Competition Fibers a in the field of specialty forestry American Woodinvestjobs(AWF), to leaderexisting jobs. Virginia successfully products, will $9 million expand its operations in Smyth County, VA, creating 30 new and saving 30 competed with Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio for the project. “The Commonwealth of Virginia and Smyth County demonstrated a commitment to support our strategic initiative to grow our business in Southwest Virginia,” says Stephen Faehner, vice president of Industrial Sales & Business Development, AWF. “The Virginia Economic Development Partnership team, along with local business leaders, worked to coordinate local initiatives with state programs to provide the most complete package of support. We found the site through their www.yesvirginia.org Web site and received the information we needed to make the best decision for our employees, suppliers, and valued customers.” Governor Tim Kaine allocated $100,000 from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Smyth County with the project, and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $60,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds to help as well. The company is also eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone program. In addition, training assistance is available for the company through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. Merck to Embark on Another Virginia EXPANSION erck & Co., Inc. recently announced it will invest $193 million to expand its Elkton, VA facility, further enhancing production capabilities for the pharmaceutical company’s medicines and vaccines. This comes on the heels of the company’s announcement last December to invest $57 million at the same facility. This newest expansion is projected to generate 70 jobs. As a result of this expansion, Merck qualifies for a $1.5 million performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Partnership program. The company is also eligible for training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. “It’s critical that Merck has sufficient production capacity to meet growing worldwide demand for its medicines and vaccines,” says Dr. Charles Vencill, plant manager. “We appreciate the ongoing support of the Kaine administration and local officials to make this additional expansion possible.” M Dollar Tree Grows in Chesapeake E arlier this year, Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., a leading operator of singleprice point dollar stores, made the decision to expand its corporate headquarters in Chesapeake, VA by 75,000 square feet, creating 100 new jobs. The company will invest over $12 million for the initial phase of the expansion—which includes additional office space, a new data center, regional training facilities, and an auditorium—with additional amounts to be spent over the next 24 months. Dollar Tree currently has a 120,000-square-foot headquarters facility and 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Chesapeake, both of which opened in 1997. “After considering a number of locations across the country, we decided on Chesapeake as the best site for our expansion,” says Bob Sasser, president and CEO of Dollar Tree. #1301 at www.BusinessFacilities.com 48 NOVEMBER 2007 http://www.yesvirginia.org http://www.roanoke.org/testimonials http://www.roanoke.org/testimonials http://www.BusinessFacilities.com

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Business Facilities - November 2007 Contents First Words Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Indianapolis Region, Indiana Georgia's Pursuit of Industry Extreme Technology Sites A Tennessee Trifecta A Watershed Moment for Philly Metro Spotlight: Mexico-Texas Border Region High Tech and Aerospace Heat up in Arizona Meeting the Information Technology Challenge IEDC Announces 2007 Winners Corporate Moves: Alabama Northeast Arkansas Scores Major Investments Corporate Moves: Virginia Metro Spotlight: Martinsville-Henry County, VA Renewable Michigan Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - November 2007

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