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For
additional information:
Wise County Office of Economic Development
P.O. Box 570
Wise, Virginia 24293
Telephone: 276-328-2321
Fax: 276-328-9780
Website
- or -
Wise
County Virginia Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 226
Norton, Virginia 24273
Telephone: 276-679-0961
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
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A
Better Way for Business...
Wise
County and the City of Norton offer a "better way"
of doing business. With a diverse economy, including metal
fabrication, extraction of minerals, wood and forestry products,
and high technology employment opportunities, we proudly offer
any business or industrial company:
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An experienced
work force with diverse skill levels
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Low absenteeism
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Grants
for work force training
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Prepared
business and industrial sites
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Excellent
local cooperation and committed long-term support
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Hard
working, friendly people with a superior work ethic
A strong local
commitment from local government, combined with regional cooperation
is the key to the diversified economic base in Wise County.
Mullican Flooring decided to locate a facility in Wise
County because of the interest and cooperation demonstrated by
the district planning commission, as well as, the state and local
governments. Rick Burchfield, Plant Manager of Mullican
Flooring said, "Mullican Flooring is a success story in Wise
County, with great support from the local governments, communities,
and its employees. We place high value on our employees.
Wise County provides qualified employees with a good attitude
and great work ethic. You can make all the investments that
you want, but it's the people that ultimately determine your success.
We are proud to be one of the top five manufacturers of quality
hardwood flooring in the United States, and just as proud to be
part of Wise County."
 INDUSTRIAL
SITES . . .
The Wise
County Industrial Park has 38 acres remaining for development
with water, sewer, three-phase electrical power, fiber-optic telephone
service, and natural gas available on site. Water and sewer
systems have excess capacity available to accommodate industry.
The Blackwood Industrial Park offers 125 acres
for development with water, sewer, three-phase electrical power,
and natural gas availability on site. The Virginia
City Industrial Park and the Dale Ridge Industrial
Park containing 50 acres and 145 acres, respectively, are
available and are under development by the property owner.
All Wise County Industrial sites are currently zoned M-2 to accommodate
light to heavy industry. LONESOME
PINE REGIONAL BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY PARK . . .
This growing
and prestigious park, nestled on a plateau in the heart of Wise
County, provides a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding Appalachian
Mountains. The
Business and Technology
Park, located adjacent to the Lonesome Pine Airport, contains
195 acres and has been developed with all the amenities necessary
to accommodate a variety of technology-based businesses. An
up-scale multi-tenant office building, containing 30,000 sq. ft.
and expandable to 60,000 sq. ft. is available for occupancy.
This building is equipped with fiber optic connectivity and with
DS1 and DS3 frame relay available.
The University
of Virginia's College at Wise, located nearby, and
Mountain Empire Community College complement this innovative
model by offering training in CISCO, MOUS, A+ Certification, C++,
COBOL, and CCNA. In addition, the community college offers
a Teleservice Career Curriculum and will customize a program to
the specifications of clients.
QUALITY
WORK FORCE . . .
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Wise
County has an abundant labor force that is willing to undergo
training to meet the needs of industry.
The trainability of the workforce and the demonstrated
work ethic contributed to the decision by
Verizon Communications, Inc. to locate a directory
assistance center in Norton.
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Richard
Settle, Manager for
Verizon, said, "The excellent work ethic and dependability
of our workforce in Southwest Virginia makes possible the
excellent service and quality levels that we achieve in
the area. They
are widely recognized as among the finest in all of Verizon.
We are very proud of the people who are Verizon in Southwest
Virginia."
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Crutchfield
Corporation, the nation's leading catalog and Internet
retailer of audio and video components, opened its first satellite
call center in Norton in 1998 with a small staff. Today,
employment has increased to almost one hundred highly skilled
people that respond to sales, technical support, and service
calls from Crutchfield customers across the country. William
G. Crutchfield, the company's founder, feels that locating in
Norton was a very wise business decision. He said, "Wise
County and the City of Norton have a number of assets that are
critically important to a forward- looking company like ours.
There is an abundant work force of intelligent people
with a wonderful work ethic. There are excellent institutions
of higher learning. The Lonesome Pine airport is the best
in Southwest Virginia, and Verizon has a high-capacity fiber
optics circuit coming directly into Norton which will give us
the high level of voice, data and video communications our business
requires."
Sykes Enterprises,
Inc., a global in-bound customer technical support center,
providing technical support for hardware and software products
from companies that contract with Sykes, became the first tenant
in the Lonesome Pine Regional Business and Technology Park.
Cheryl
McAlpine, Project Manager for Sykes, said, "We do provide
support for a number of signature companies. I'm not worried
because we're impressed with the skill set we've found in the
area. Part of Sykes' philosophy is taking high-tech jobs
to rural America. The work ethic in the communities is
incredibly high, and we have found the skill set here to fit
our needs. The customers reap the benefits of our philosophy."
The Right-To-Work
law of Virginia, combined with a quality labor force and an
abundance of resources, make Wise County a prime site for diversified
industrial and technology-based firms development. Natural
resources, including coal, raw materials, and wood products
from professionally managed forests; human resources; and training
resources are all readily available to meet the needs of industry
and technology-based firms.
EDUCATION
- A
NATIONAL MODEL . . .
Two prominent colleges, both of which are active partners in economic
development, are located within Wise County.
The University
of Virginia, founded in 1819 and one of the nation's most highly
ranked public universities is the parent institution of the
University of Virginia's College at Wise. More than 1,500 students study at the 400-acre campus of the
University of Virginia's College at Wise, the only branch of the
University of Virginia. U.S. News and World Report
has named this college as one of the top ten public liberal arts
colleges in the nation. Founded in 1954 on Thomas Jefferson's
principles of a liberal arts education, the University of Virginia's
College at Wise is a later manifestation. of Jefferson's vision.
Fully accredited
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the University
of Virginia's College at Wise offers baccalaureate degrees in
24 liberal arts and professional programs of study.
Staffed by 67 full-time faculty members, 83 percent of
whom hold terminal degrees, the college also offers 26 minors,
8 pre-professional programs, and 23 teaching licensures.
Mountain Empire
Community College is widely recognized throughout this region
as a provider of quality career and technical education.
The college offers degrees with certificates in high-demand occupational
and technical programs. In addition to career counseling,
students are provided opportunities for internships, apprenticeships,
and job placement. The Center for Workforce Development
at Mountain Empire Community College also houses the
Small Business Development Center, which provides customized
programs and training services enabling a quick response to the
needs of business and industry.
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sixteen different locations throughout the County, the
Wise County School Division offers a full range
of K-12 programs serving more than 6,700 students.
The School Division also operates a distance-learning
center, which serves students via satellite in other Virginia
school divisions and other states.
Fiber-optic interactive classrooms located in the
high schools improve the quality of course offerings by
empowering students who choose to enroll in course work
delivered from distant sites. |
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Career and technical training is available through the Wise
County Career and Technical Education Center.
The Career and Technical Center offers a wide variety of
course programs for public school students, which include design
and technology, drafting, graphic communications, and electronics.
Examples of the curriculum of study include classes in
laser positioning, robotics, and aerodynamics.
Regularly scheduled training programs include many of the
trade skills common to the business and industrial community.
Various adult evening classes are also offered based upon the
level of interest and enrollment.
Norton City Schools also offer a full range of K-12 programs
to serve the students residing in the City
of Norton. The
comprehensive instructional program includes a composite of academic,
technological, vocational, and elective studies.
Classes in French, Latin, and physics are also taught through
the Interactive Television Classroom.
Students in grades 10-12 may also elect to attend classes
at the Wise County Career and Technical Center.
LOCATION
AND TRANSPORTATION . . .
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Wise
County is located in the southwestern portion of Virginia
in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.
Elevations range from 1,400 to 4,200 feet above sea
level. Wise County is within 15 miles of the
Tri-Cities MSA and is a part of the Tri-Cities VA/TN All
American City designation for 1999. U.S. Route 23
and U.S. Alternate Route 58, both four-lane arterial highways,
traverse the county providing easy access to the Interstate
highway system. Since the county is located in close
proximity to Interstate highways 26, 64, 75, 77, and
81, business and industry have easy access to the entire
eastern seaboard and Midwest markets. |
DISTANCE
TO MAJOR MARKETS
|
Market |
(miles) |
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Atlanta,
GA |
327 |
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Baltimore,
MD |
448 |
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Birmingham,
AL |
415 |
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Chicago,
IL |
562 |
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Columbia,
SC |
324 |
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Columbus,
OH |
259 |
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Detroit,
MI |
472 |
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Indianapolis,
IN |
390 |
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Jackson,
MS |
630 |
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Lexington,
KY |
180 |
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Memphis,
TN |
518 |
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Nashville,
TN |
308 |
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New
Orleans, LA |
754 |
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New
York, NY |
632 |
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Philadelphia,
PA |
576 |
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Pittsburgh,
PA |
393 |
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Raleigh,
NC |
297 |
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Richmond,
VA |
361 |
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St.
Louis, MO |
531 |
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Tallahassee,
FL |
622 |
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Norfolk Southern and CSX Railways provide rail access in
Wise County. Lonesome
Pine Airport with a 5,280 foot lighted runway is the primary
corporate air terminal for business and industry in Southwest
Virginia. An Instrument
Landing System will soon be installed at the airport, which
will enable aircraft to land and take-off during inclement
weather conditions. Tri-Cities Regional Airport,
located about 60 miles away in Blountville, Tennessee, provides
commercial air service for the region.
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UTILITIES
. . .
Each of the towns in Wise County, as well as the City of
Norton, operates municipal water systems. The Wise County Public Service Authority provides
water to areas not served by the municipal water systems.
Municipal systems or regional wastewater treatment authorities
provide wastewater treatment. Both water and wastewater
systems have excess capacity to meet demands of business and industry.
American
Electric Power and
Old Dominion Power Company meet electrical
power needs throughout the county. Electrical rates are
among the lowest in the country.
Natural gas is available in sufficient quantities at all
industrial sites and at the Lonesome Pine Regional Business and
Technology Park. Digital telecommunications and fiber optic
connectivity is available throughout the county. Verizon
is the local provider for telephone service.
RICH
QUALITY OF LIFE . . .
Wise County
was named in honor of Henry A. Wise, Governor of Virginia (1856-1860).
With the discovery of coal in 1879, unprecedented growth
came to the county and railroad routes were established to ship
coal to its many market destinations.
The Towns of Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound,
St. Paul, Wise, and the City of Norton grew up along the rivers
and railroads. The County's heritage spawned hardworking
unique individuals with a rich cultural heritage.
There are
many cultural amenities in the county, including festivals, museums
and dramas.
The Pro-Art Association,
an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, presents musical,
theatrical, and artistic programs to its members, the public and
in the schools. Performances
have included the Saint Petersburg Ballet, the National Opera
Company, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Choir Boys,
among others.
The
Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the longest continually running
outdoor drama in the Commonwealth of Virginia, has been designated
the Official Outdoor Drama of Virginia.
Wise County
is also home of the community that was the inspiration of Adriana
Trigiani's trilogy of novels, including the best-seller Big
Stone Gap; and the novel, The Trail of the
Lonesome Pine, written by John Fox, Jr.
More than
35,900 acres of the Jefferson National Forest lie in Wise County,
supporting a multitude of outdoor recreational opportunities.
The climate
of Wise County is characterized by relatively warm summers and
mild winters. The
average winter temperature is between 26.7 and 46.0 degrees F.
The County
has three modern, well-equipped hospitals, as well as, a number
of clinics and other health care facilities.
The Southwest Virginia Regional Cancer Center is
also located in the City of Norton.
Regional shopping
centers are conveniently located in several of the Wise County
towns and contain regional and national retail outlets and restaurants.
Each of the towns and the City of Norton also have a number of
specialty shops and locally owned business establishments to cater
the the needs of the community.
The variety
of cultural opportunities, the attractive living conditions, the
educational opportunities, the beauty of the area, all make Wise
County the "better way" for a rich quality of life.
For additional
information:
Wise County
Office of Economic Development
P.O. Box 570
Wise, Virginia 24293
Telephone: 276-328-2321
Fax: 276-328-9780
website: http://www.wisecounty.org/EconDev/econdev.html
Or
Wise
County Virginia Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 226
Norton, Virginia 24273
Telephone: 276-679-0961
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