Southern Virginia redefines itself

by Bernie Niemeier
for Virginia Business
July 2007

Two years ago, local officials petitioned the Virginia Tourism Corp. to change the collective name of counties known as Southside Virginia to “Southern Virginia.”

This was more than a cosmetic change for Brunswick, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties, as well as the cities of Danville and Martinsville and the town of South Boston. The new name allowed them to distinguish themselves from the Tourism Corp.’s Central Region which included 34 counties spread across much of the state.

Changes to Southern Virginia go well beyond tourism.

here is a rapid revitalization in an economy that has been among the hardest hit in the U.S. The long-term withdrawal of tobacco, textiles and furniture manufacturing left what was once one of Virginia’s most vibrant regions only a shell of its former self.

High unemployment, lack of interstate highways and low adult educational attainment might have led to long-term declines for these communities. However, in just a few years this has been proven wrong.

Six thousand new jobs have been created in Danville and Pittsylvania during the past three years. Companies such as Swedewood/IKEA, Yorktowne Cabinetry, Essel Propack and Telvista are finding that available labor, a strong work ethic and quality of life make Southern Virginia a prime area for expansion or relocation.

How has a region that suffered so much turned around so fast? It’s largely the result of committed and engaged community leadership that has seen opportunity where others might see lack of hope.

Tobacco isn’t gone. It has come back in a greener form. The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, formed as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement with U.S. tobacco manufacturers, is funding numerous local economic development projects.

Tobacco Commission money along with New Market Tax Credits, Workforce Investment Boards, The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA, pronounced “Ice-Tea”), as well as state and local bond referendums, have come together with surprising speed to fund the recovery of the Southern Virginia region.

In South Boston, every fourth-grader from Halifax County’s public schools comes to The Prizery to study theater, music, dance and the arts. This facility, housed in a renovated tobacco packing warehouse, includes a state-of-the-art, 300-seat performing arts center and a climate-controlled exhibition area capable of displaying traveling collections of fine art.

Next door is the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, a showpiece for work-force development. It offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 20 disciplines.

In Danville, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) serves a similar function and is already outgrowing its original site. In partnership with Virginia Tech, IALR serves as a catalyst for community transformation. It brings advanced technology and talent to the region to conduct research in the fields of polymers, unmanned systems, high-value horticulture, forestry and motorsports engineering.

In secondary education, Halifax County leads the state with more than 1,300 high school students earning college credits through dual-degree programs with local community colleges.

Infrastructure is also a part of the equation. Southern Virginia has a new fiber-optic and wireless backbone encircling the region to allow companies access to the information highway.

The rapid transformation of Southern Virginia is replacing the old tobacco and industrial economy with new knowledge workers to support the rapidly growing service and technology-based economy of the future.
Southern Virginia is indeed rising again!

Bernie Niemeier, publisher of Virginia Business, is a member of the 2007 Class of Lead Virginia which visited Southern Virginia in May. Lead Virginia is a nonpartisan statewide organization that brings together leaders with the intention of creating “social capital” that will positively impact Virginia’s future.