Ample Space, Initiatives and Programs Create Favorable Business Climate
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New buildings are obvious signs of business growth for a community, but in Martinsville and Henry County, there are many other indicators of success, some not so visible yet just as potent.
The area benefits from multiple efforts to grow the business base and help current operations expand and diversify. From innovative reuse of existing structures to building spec facilities, large- and medium-sized businesses are finding a perfect fit here. And with an array of programs to help small businesses grow and develop, organizations like the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation and Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce are seeing successes across the board.
“Some companies are really taking advantage of the governmental procurement process at the local, state, regional and federal levels,” says Lisa Fultz, director of small and minority business development for the MHCEDC.
“Another thing that folks are starting to take advantage of is that all of Martinsville and Henry County has been designated as a federal HUBZone [Historically Underutilized Business Zone]. Being in a HUBZone means that our small companies can get admitted to that program. We have several who are being awarded contracts at the state and federal levels.”
Available space for small businesses is being met by developments such as the Commonwealth Centre office complex, located within a 110-year-old former textile building in downtown Martinsville that now boasts state-of-the-art office space, a landmark clock tower and more.
George W. Lester II, CEO of The Lester Group, says his company purchased and developed the site to bring new life to an old building, transforming an existing asset to meet an emerging need.
On the large-scale-business recruitment front, the EDC is experiencing successes that are the culmination of a 20-year effort to buy land and develop it for specific users, as well as give the area a business-ready set of properties to market. An example is the recent addition of RTI International Metals, which is setting up shop in the Patriot Centre Industrial Park and expects to hire 150 workers when it fully opens for business during early 2009.
“Henry County has been very aggressive about buying land, and we’re beginning a master plan process now that will also include some additional inventory down the road,” says Mark Heath, president and CEO of the MHCEDC.
That kind of advance prep work paid off when RTI visited the area. The combination of a ready-made site and a quality incentives package got the company’s attention right away, says Dave Paull, vice president of administration of RTI.
“All the local officials coordinated with us really well,” Paull says. “There was a lot for us to take advantage of, and we’re very happy to be here.”
This proactive and resourceful spirit comes as no surprise to Amanda Witt, president of the chamber of commerce, a key advocate for the area’s business community. An array of chamber initiatives and events help local companies network and expand operations, including the Fast Track Expo, which in 2008 was the largest since its inception 14 years ago.
The chamber also promotes all of the Small Business Resources in Martinsville-Henry County, including the EDC’s Office of Small & Minority Business, the Southside Business Technology Center, Longwood Small Business Development Center and the West Piedmont Business Development Center.
“They all offer unique services,” Witt says of the centers. “We make referrals to them frequently. We all strive to collaborate, because we have the same common goal. We want to grow our existing businesses and encourage economic development.”
