Make it here
Bland County
Bland County and Southwest Virginia are becoming a hub for tourism and business. The interstate access, scenic vistas, historical landmarks, outdoor activities and abundant rivers, lakes and streams make this area a mecca for tourists and businesses alike.
Bland County borders West Virginia, is strategically located along I-77, and it’s only 13 miles from where I-77 intersects with I-81 in Wythe County. Bland County is 90 miles west of Roanoke and 250 miles from Richmond, Virginia’s capital, and is midway between Myrtle Beach and the Midwest, making it a convenient stopping point for families looking for more than just the Grand Strand experience on their vacation.
Leading employers in this county include ABB Power T&D Company, Inc., a global company that operates a dry transformer manufacturing facility here, and is Bland County’s largest private employer, with over 350 employees.
Another successful employer in Bland County is General Injectables & Vaccines, Inc., the nation’s largest independent marketer of pharmaceutical and healthcare products directly to physicians.
Another successful business located in Rocky Gap in Bland County is American Mine Research Inc., manufacturer of a complete line of products for the mining and industrial world. Founded in 1975, this company was one of four Virginia companies in the first graduating class of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s AIM (Accessing International Markets) export development program.
Much of the land in Bland County is forest with portions of the Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail included in the county’s boundaries. Hunting, camping, fishing and hiking are recreational opportunities available in Bland County that has been described as a hunter’s paradise for bear, deer and small game.
Carroll County
Carroll County, Virginia, is ideally located along I-77 that runs through the county and intersects with I-81 in Wythe County 12 miles to the north, providing convenient access to businesses and visitors. The county borders North Carolina and is known for its unique and diverse geography, which features breath-taking mountain top views, as well as scenic foothills and Piedmont vistas. The county has a population of more than 29,000 residents over 478 square miles. The Town of Hillsville serves as the county seat. Experience all four seasons in Carroll County. Peak travel is in June, July and October.
Located on the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia, Carroll County is 68 miles southwest of Roanoke, VA, 111 miles east of Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee, and 65 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, NC.
Variety best describes the land area in the county’s 494 square miles (316,160 acres). The highest point in the county is Fisher’s Peak, which has an elevation of 3,570 feet, while Lovill’s Creek, where it crosses the Virginia/North Carolina line, is the lowest point.
Manufacturing in textiles, furniture
With a strong manufacturing base in furniture, textiles and glass, Carroll County is located in the Virginia-North Carolina furniture manufacturing region, the largest center of furniture production in the world.
It is also home to one of the most sophisticated, cutting edge technology plants, Magnolia Manufacturing, Inc., a division of Parkdale Mills, Inc., that produces ring spun yarn at its Hillsville facility and is considered to be an example of the latest innovative technology at work.
From its beginning, Magnolia Manufacturing’s Hillsville plant has been considered as more than a manufacturing facility by its parent Parkdale Mills, Inc., the industry leader in the production of cotton and cotton blend yarns. Magnolia Manufacturing’s physical plant, equipment and unconventional layout are designed to ensure maximum flexibility and to replace labor intensive process with cutting edge technology.
The Town of Hillsville
The Town of Hillsville, the county’s only incorporated town, is the seat of the county government.
The Results Companies, with headquarters in Dania, Florida, established a call center in Galax in the Crossroads Institute to handle customer service calls for XM Satellite Radio. The center employs more than 250. Results has located several centers in Southwest Virginia and employs more than 800 in the region.
Leading employers in the City of Galax include furniture manufacturer Vaughn-Bassett Furniture and Guardian Industries’ Consolidated Glass and Mirror Corporation that operates a glass fabrication plant in Galax. Small Business Incubator and Entrepreneurial Center
Education, training, small business and technology come together in the Crossroads Institute located in a former Lowe’s Improvement store building in Galax. A small business incubator, sophisticated computer labs, business training, public school and college classes are housed in the new facility financed primarily by $4.9 million in federal funds. The Crossroads Institute serves the City of Galax and Carroll, Grayson, Wythe, Smyth and Bland counties.
Three centers are included in the Crossroads Institute. The Southwest Regional Enterprise Center is the small business incubator. The Center for Technical and Entrepreneurial Studies will provide workforce training and function as an economic development magnet high school offering distance learning in technical-occupational programs. The Center for Lifelong Learning offers programs to earn GED’s or take English as a Second Language classes, as well as continuing education and corporate training.
Musical heritage and tourism
Virginia’s musical heritage is important to Carroll County. With the internationally known Old Fiddler’s Convention, held every year the second weekend in August in Galax, the county and city are access points for the Blue Ridge Music Center, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail is a driving trail that follows US 58 primarily and extends from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Blue Ridge Music Center through Bristol and the coalfields. The Trail connects major music venues in the region along one major highway artery. This section of southwestern Virginia is blessed with an abundance of historic and contemporary music venues, musicians, and fretted instrument makers.
The Music Heritage Trail sets this area apart from the rest of the state and the nation. The music of this area includes styles such as old time, bluegrass, mountain, and gospel. There are many annual festivals, weekly concerts, live radio shows, and innumerable less formal jam sessions throughout the region that present this music for audiences large and small.
The county and region are served by the 149-bed Twin County Regional Hospital in Galax, that includes a full range of healthcare services and a wellness center.
City of Galax
Galax is the gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city is rich with tradition, shopping, recreation and scenic views. A visit to Galax offers everything from quaint downtown shops to hiking and old time bluegrass music festivals. It is also home to the largest Old Fiddlers Convention, as well as the New River Trail.
Galax is located in the Blue Ridge mountains of Southwest Virginia on the Carroll-Grayson County line. Situated nine miles west of I-77, the city also is served by U.S. highways 58/221 and 52 along with VA Rt. 89. It is 82 miles southwest of Roanoke and 68 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, NC.
Galax is an independent city of a population of 6,670. with a strong manufacturing base in furniture, textiles and glass. Parts of Galax are designated as an Enterprise Zone, and the city is located in the Virginia-North Carolina furniture manufacturing region, the largest center of furniture production in the world.
Leading employers in Galax include furniture manufacturer Vaughn-Bassett Furniture and Guardian Industries’ Consolidated Glass and Mirror Corporation that operates a glass fabrication plant in Galax.
One of the newest employers in Galax is The Results Companies of Dania, Florida, who established a call center in the Crossroads Institute to provide customer service for XM Satellite Radio.
Crossroads Institute
Education, training, small business and technology came together in Galax when the Crossroads Institute opened in 2005 in a former Lowe’s Improvement store building. A small business incubator, sophisticated computer labs, business training, public school and college classes are housed in the new facility financed primarily by $4.9 million in federal funds. The Crossroads Institute serves the City of Galax and Carroll, Grayson, Wythe, Smyth and Bland counties.
The Crossroads Institute is home to the Southwest Regional Enterprise Center, a small business incubator, and the Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority. Wytheville Community College is also a partner in Crossroads Institute.
Galax and musical heritage
Virginia’s musical heritage is important to the City of Galax. It is home to the internationally known Old Fiddler’s Convention, held every year the second weekend in August, and brings more than 40,000 visitors to Felts Park. The city is an access point for the Blue Ridge Music Center, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail is a driving trail that follows US 58 primarily and extends from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Blue Ridge Music Center through Bristol and the coalfields. The Trail connects major music venues in the region along one major highway artery. This section of southwestern Virginia is blessed with an abundance of historic and contemporary music venues, musicians, and fretted instrument makers.
The Music Heritage Trail sets this area apart from the rest of the state and the nation. The music of this area includes styles such as old time, bluegrass, mountain, and gospel. There are many annual festivals, weekly concerts, live radio shows, and innumerable less formal jam sessions throughout the region that present this music for audiences large and small.
The city and region are served by the 149-bed Twin County Regional Hospital in Galax, that includes a full range of healthcare services and a wellness center.
Grayson County
With its close proximity to central locations like the interstate crossroads, but far enough to not be disturbed by them, Grayson County is nestled perfectly in Southwest Virginia for any business or person loving the great outdoors.
Come visit Grayson County where everything is elevated by nature. Grayson County has been described as a naturalist’s paradise. Home to Virginia’s two highest mountains – Mount Rogers and Whitetop – the county also includes the only Virginia manufacturing facility for Nautilus that ships commercial fitness machines around the world from its Independence facility.
Grayson County is less than two hours from Roanoke, Piedmont/Triad Airport and Charlotte, NC. The county is a wedge-shaped area within a triangle made up of I-81, I-77, and the North Carolina State Line. I-77 is eight miles east of Grayson County by US 58/221. I-81 is 10 miles north of Grayson County by US 21.
Grayson County is home to a successful Nautilus operation that employs 200 and manufactures fitness machinery.
With its proximity to the City of Galax, Grayson County has access to the Galax Education Center of Wytheville Community College for industrial training and educational programs, as well as the newly opened Crossroads Institute. The county is also home to Oak Hill Academy, a private high school nestled in the mountains at Mouth of Wilson, VA.
Along with the spectacular natural beauty of the region, outdoor adventures abound in Grayson County including hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, horseback riding, bird watching, hunting, fishing and cross country skiing.
The county also has two state parks, Grayson Highlands State Park and the New River Trail State Park, and the New River flows through much of the area.
Grayson County is rich with musical heritage and artistic talent. Various festivals are traditional from year to year, celebrating fall foliage, bluegrass, the 4th of July and mountain crafts and traditions.
Smyth County
Whether building a business, cruising down the Back of the Dragon, fly-fishing or exploring Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, excitement can be found in Smyth County. Come see why Smyth County is the gateway to fun and fortune in the mountains.
Smyth County, with a population of 33,200, is centrally located along Interstate 81 in southwestern Virginia, less than 25 miles from the crossroads with Interstate 77, and within 30 miles of the Tri-Cities TN/VA region of a population of nearly 500,000.
Rich with manufacturing experience
Smyth County offers a workforce that has been recognized for its productivity, trainability and work ethic, and is home to many internationally recognized companies such as General Dynamics, Royal Building Products, Scholle IPN, Utility Trailer, Woodgrain Millwork, and ZF TRW.
Smyth County lists a variety of available buildings and industrial parks in Enterprise and Technology Zones, including its joint project with Washington County, the Highlands Business Park at Exit 29, I-81.
Tourism is a growing industry
In Smyth County two major attractions draw thousands of visitors to the region each year. Hungry Mother State Park in Marion offers year-round accommodations, various outdoor recreational opportunities, a restaurant and meeting facilities.
About 15 miles from Marion is the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, 154,000 acres located in the Jefferson National Forest. Centered around Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia, this recreational area provides hiking and camping opportunities year-round and a chance to view exquisite scenery and wild ponies roaming the mountainside.
One Smyth County landmark in Marion, the historic Lincoln Theatre has been restored as a community cultural arts center. The Lincoln, a movie house that opened in 1929 and closed in 1977, was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. In 2000, The Lincoln Theatre was designated an official project of Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Lincoln Theatre is a thriving venue for arts and musical performances year round.
Wellness and top-notch healthcare services are available through Smyth County Community Hospital, a 109-bed Mountain States Health Alliance facility located in Marion. The Lifetime Wellness Center, open to the community, is a modern 54,000 sq. ft fitness and educational facility.
Wythe County
Whatever you want to make, you can make it with Wythe. Its convenient location at an interstate crossroads makes Wythe County a prime place for business and outdoor enthusiasts. Wythe has the infrastructure and amenities to help you build it here. Whether it’s a business, a retirement or a new family, “Wythe” history comes adventure!
Wythe County is strategically located at the crossroads of major interstate systems I-81 and I-77 and the future I-74 in southwestern Virginia. Eighty miles southwest of Roanoke, 70 miles northeast of Bristol, VA/TN, and 300 miles southwest of Washington, DC., the scenic county is located in a valley bordered by the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountain ranges.
Expansion from within
Recognized by Southern Business and Development magazine as one of the top markets in the South, the county has seen several major expansions and welcomed Pepsi Bottling Group and its new $65 million state-of-the-art plant in Wytheville, and Gatorade and Amcor PET Packaging to Wytheville’s Progress Park.
Other leading employers are Klockner Pentaplast in Rural Retreat, VA, maker of plastic films; Wytheville Technologies, Inc., maker of precision automotive parts, the first company to locate in the 1210-acre Progress Park, then slated a $31 million expansion for a new 150,000 sq. ft. facility in the spacious park; and Longwood Elastomers, Inc., an established company that makes engineered rubber products for the transportation industry.
Smaller family-owned entrepreneurial enterprises also are seeing success in Wythe County. Musser Lumber Sales, which began as a two-man sawmill in 1967, and Camrett Logistics were honored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce as two of Virginia’s Fantastic 50 fastest growing businesses.
Both in Rural Retreat, Camrett specializes in fleet management and dedicated logistics. Musser Lumber Sales, with more than 70 employees in the family-owned business that specializes in kiln dried and green lumber for furniture, flooring and cabinet companies and distribution yards, recently completed a $3 million expansion.
Training, education and quality of life
Diverse training programs are available in Wythe County through Wytheville Community College and four-year colleges that are within an easy commute. The Manufacturing Technology Center, headquartered in Wytheville, a not-for- profit organization dedicated to helping manufacturers in southwestern Virginia to become more competitive, offers companies access to technical expertise, informational resources and training opportunities.
Outstanding recreational opportunities are available in Wythe County and healthcare services are available through more than 80 physicians and Wythe County Community Hospital, a 104 bed facility, and various clinical services provided throughout the county.
