The Virginia Tobacco Commission has awarded the Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMaC) $6.1 million to acquire additional land and continue developing the industrial site. Mecklenburg County and the City of Emporia are partners in the Regional Industrial Facilities Authority created to support the site's growth. The localities submitted a joint application to the Tobacco Commission for this funding opportunity.
Senator Frank Ruff, who serves as the Vice Chair for the Tobacco Commission states, "It is great that we are moving forward on a mega site in the region. I am additionally proud that political leaders in Emporia, Greensville County, and Mecklenburg County have wisely joined forces for the good of people of region."
Otterdam Road, a two lane rural route, will serve as the gateway to MAMaC. The Virginia Department of Transportation has awarded a $508,000 grant for engineering of the necessary upgrades to Otterdam road from Interstate 95 exit 13 to the Center's entrance. This award was made through the Economic Development Access program.
Greensville County and the City of Emporia have been working closely on several projects lately. The joint hard work and effort have paid off in a big way. The local governments have been awarded a Joint Enterprise Zone designation through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Governor can designate up to 30 Enterprise Zones for a period of 10 years with the potential to be renewed for up to two subsequent five-year periods. The localities submitted an application and competed for one of only two available zones in 2013. The process was very competitive.
Sherry Swinson, Executive Director, Virginia's Growth Alliance, updated the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors on the new marketing identity "Virginia's Growth Alliance."
She said the economic development marketing organization formerly known as the TransTech Alliance rebranded itself to better reflect the area it serves. The goal of Virginia's Growth Alliance is to market regional economic development opportunities in a six-county, one-city region in southern Virginia. Members of the Alliance include the Counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Lunenburg, Nottoway, and Mecklenburg and the city of Emporia.
The organization plans to deploy its new brand in a variety of ways including presentations at regional board and council meetings, area civic organization meetings, in coordination with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, regional marketing materials and a new website currently being developed.
President-Elect Kaye Brewer, left, and Jean Moore, right, welcomed Sherry Swinson, Executive Director of Virginia's Growth Alliance, to the Lawrenceville Rotary Club. Swinson said the goal of Virginia's Growth Alliance is to market regional economic development opportunities in a six county, one-city region in southern Virginia.
Members of the Alliance include the Counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Mecklenburg, and the City of Emporia. The alliance plans to deploy its new brand in a variety of ways including presentations at regional board and council meetings and area civic organization meetings like Rotary. Plans also include working with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. A new website is being developed.
In August 2012 VGA hosted a forum at the Southside Virginia Community College, Christianna Campus, to discuss new resources available to the Southern Virginia communities, including how to encourage the community's unexpected entrepreneurs and emerging leaders and charting out an initial path for how to be involved in assessing the region today and shaping it for tomorrow. Listen to Keynote speaker Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, share the benefits and challenges of a coordinated economic development approach that combines regional identity strategies, community building efforts, entrepreneurial approaches, and targeted industrial attraction.
{youtube}CBrw06dl2C4{/youtube}
Program promotes regional economic collaboration in distressed areas
In 2011, Virginia's Growth Alliance was one of the first five projects to receive funding through the Building Collaborative Communities program. This new program promotes regional economic collaboration in economically-distressed areas that stimulate job creation, economic development and provide a significant return on state investment.
"In its first year, Building Collaborative Communities jumpstarted several regional collaborative efforts across the Commonwealth," said Governor McDonnell. "The selected projects focus on and facilitate involvement from the private sector, community organizations and various other regional organizations that can make the collaboration a success."
Building Collaborative Communities, which includes a competitive application process, is a broad-based program that brings to bear resources from a number of state entities, including the Lieutenant Governor's Office, Senior Economic Advisor, Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Tobacco Commission, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Virginia Community College System and other agencies as appropriate.
.