Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 50)

METRO SPOTLIGHT Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia By Karim Khan 50 NOVEMBER 2007 PHOTO CREDITS: MARTINSVILLE-HENRY COUNTY EDC irginia is atypical within the United States in that its cities are not located within counties; or in other words, even though Martinsville, VA is completely enveloped by MARTINSVILLE-HENRY COUNTY Henry County, VA, the two entities have separate governments and FAST FACTS non-overlapping jurisdiction. While it would be incorrect to say that Population (2006): 70,735 Martinsville is part of Henry County, it is true that the two work Geography: 385 square miles in the together as a single unit to attract companies to the region and to help foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains existing companies grow. of Virginia, along the southern border The area employs a large number of people in furniture manufacshared with North Carolina turing, clothing distribution, call centers, and high-tech polymer manTargeted Industries: ufacturing. These industries build on the rich industrial history of the • Food Processing region. That history means generations of accumulated know-how • Plastics • Motorsports among residents—many of whom are seeking new employment due to • Tourism the geographic shifts in these core businesses. Recent unemployment • Film rates range from 7%-10% range in Martinsville, and from 4.5%-5.5% • Back-Office Operations in Henry County. Key Virginia Incentives: Those numbers can fluctuate readily because of the small overall • Virginia Enterprise Zones population: there are, on average, around 1,500 officially unemployed • Technology Zones residents between Martinsville and Henry County at any given time. • Virginia Small Business Financing That number is bolstered by the number of underemployed—those • Governor’s Opportunity Fund who would trade up from their current job to work for you if you pro• Jobs Grant Tax Credits vide a better opportunity—and by the number of commuters into the area from the rest of Virginia and North Carolina, which Henry County shares a border The Patriot Centre with. About 6,200 people commute into Shell Building is a Martinsville and Henry County for work. 79,000-square-foot facilAlso, about 4,600 local residents commute to ity situated on 19.6 acres outside Martinsville-Henry County for work in the Patriot Centre, a each day, each one undoubtedly ready to conMartinsville-Henry County industrial park of more than 900 acres. The shell sider a shorter commute should a new, qualbuilding rests on a pad that will accommodate expansion to 154,000 square ity employer arrive closer to home. feet, and it includes nearly 5,000 square feet of external office space and The average hourly production wage in 30-foot ceilings. The park has municipal water, sewer, and natural gas; Martinsville-Henry County is $11; the averbroadband Internet connectivity; and on-site fire and rescue services. About age weekly wage, among all sectors is $516. 400 acres of the Patriot Centre currently remain open for development. V

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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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