The Prospect - November 2013 - Danville Economic Development

THE
PROSPECT
Issue 17 | November 2013
City of Danville, Office of Economic Development
Company Updates
Finding opportunity
Norfolk International
The Port of Virginia
Business License Rebates
Job Creation in Danville
Meet Nancy Sun
DR Year Intern
| to subscribe to this magazine, please contact [email protected] | www.discoverdanville.com |
COVER ART: AERIAL FROM RALPH ADAMS
Office of Economic
Development
STAFF
Jeremy Stratton, CEcD
Director
Connect with Jeremy
Corrie Teague
Project Manager
IN THIS ISSUE
Connect with Corrie
3.
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Linwood Wright
Ken Gillie
Consultant
4-5.
NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL
Connect with Linwood
Mackenzie Osadchuk
Marketing & Research Manager
Connect with Mackenzie
World Class Asset for Danville
6.
FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN DANVILLE
Prudential Manasco & Telvista
7.
FEATURED PROPERTY
The Pemberton - Commercial Space
8.
BUSINESS LICENSE REBATES
Enterprise Zone Incentives
Kimberly Custer
Special Projects Coordinator
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The Prospect
| City of Danville, Office of Economic Development
9.
NEWS AND UPDATES
SPOTLIGHT ON:
KEN GILLIE
The Office of Economic Development
WRITTEN BY | Mackenzie Osadchuk
“ Ken plays a major role in
utilizes the expertise of Ken Gillie, Division
the construction process
Director of Planning, inside the City limits.
for new and expanding
Gillie and the members of
Community Development ensure
that economic development projects
comply with the City of Danville
Zoning and Subdivision Codes. Gillie
has also worked on the creation
of specific codes to help facilitate
the development of the Coleman
Marketplace Shopping Center, and
the new River District Zoning Overlay
District.
“Ken plays a major role in the
construction process for new and
expanding companies, but he’s also
willing to do anything else,” said
Mackenzie Osadchuk, Marketing and
Research Manager. “From zoning
research for a prospect, to compliance
with City Codes, to City Ordinance
collaboration, he works in a timely
manner with accuracy. Ken never
makes me feel like I’m asking too much
and will gladly step into roles outside
of his job description.”
A long standing City employee, Gillie
has knowledge in a variety of areas.
He works with citizens and developers
on the use of land to make sure that
projects meet the City standards.
Gillie recently made an impact on the
new YMCA in the River District when
developers came across a ground
companies, but he’s also
willing to do anything else.”
water problem in an area slated to be
one of two parking lots for the facility.
Codes Manager with the Borough of
Carlisle, PA.
“Ken Gillie was very reasonable and
helped us find a good solution very
quickly,” said Jim Abercrombie, Chair
of the new YMCA building committee.
“We needed to change our plans.
He visited the site with us and spent
a lot of time discussing options and
considering our input and end goal.
We can’t thank him enough.”
“My favorite thing about Danville is
the people. You won’t find a friendlier
group of people around,” said Gillie. “I
also really enjoy the amount of outdoor
activities that are available from the
Riverwalk, to the parks to my favorite,
the Mountain Bike Trails; there is always
something to do here.”
Originally from Jefferson Borough
(now Jefferson Hills), Pennsylvania,
Gillie received his undergraduate
degree in Geography from California
University of Pennsylvania. He earned
his master’s degree in geography
from the University of Akron,
interning with the City of Cuyahoga
Falls, OH Department of Community
Development during Graduate School.
Prior to his current position, Ken
worked as a Planning, Zoning and
Ken is an avid participant in any two
wheeled activity. He is an MSF certified
motorcycle safety instructor, teaching
at Danville Community College and
Central Virginia Community College
in Lynchburg. Ken is also an active
cyclist, and makes use of the local
trails on his mountain bicycle. He also
enjoys running and competing in many
local races. He is currently coaching a
basketball team of 3-5 graders, adding
to his experience coaching soccer. Ken
is a member of the Board of Directors
of the Optimist Club of Danville.
Issue 17 | November 2013 | 3
Norfolk
THE PORT OF VIRGINIA IS A GATEWAY FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE
AND COMMERCE FOR THE UNITED STATES, VIRGINIA, AND DANVILLE.
The Port of Virginia plays a key role
in inward and outward movement
of goods from the Commonwealth
to the rest of the world. The
Virginia Port Authority (VPA), the
government agency that owns and
operates the Port, is an unmatched
partner for economic development
in Virginia. VPA is constantly seeking
ways to improve its processes and
facilities as the only green port on
the East Coast, with cargo handling
facilities that are all Environmental
Management ISO 14001 Certified.
Norfolk International Terminal (NIT),
one of 6 terminals that make up
the Port of Virginia, is located in
Hampton Roads Harbor along the
Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers. It is
the Port’s largest terminal, with a
total of six berths dredged to 50’,
served by 14 Super Post-Panamax
Class quay cranes.
and the Norfolk International
Terminal are not beyond the reach
of companies located in Danville,”
said Director Jeremy Stratton.
“Companies see our proximity to
the Norfolk Port (within four hours)
as a huge asset for exporting and
importing goods. The Norfolk
Port is the second largest on the
East Coast and one of the few
deep water ports for the newest
generation of mega ships. With the
enlargement of the Panama Canal
by 2015, we should see a greater
need for the Norfolk Port with our
companies.”
NIT also has direct access to over
89,300 feet of rail that provides
two-day double-stack service to
Midwest markets. The supreme
What does this mean for Danville?
NIT gives Danville access to the
third largest port with the deepest
channels on the East Coast,
equipped with the highest number
of the largest modern container
cranes.
“Although we are not a port city, the
convenience of the Port of Virginia
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The Prospect
| City of Danville, Office of Economic Development
ease and efficiency of NIT allows
companies to maximize shipment
sizes for worldwide distribution.
The Port of Virginia 2040 Master
Plan includes NIT projects focused
on improving terminal operations
by increasing the use of remote
operators. Plans also include further
streamlining U.S. Customs and
Border Protection screening through
improved gate infrastructure and
software upgrades.
The Office of Economic Development
hopes to mirror the progess of NIT
and the Port of Virginia and continue
to attract businesses worldwide.
For more information, visit www.
portofvirginia.com.
International
JUNE 2013
Port of Virginia
•Direct service to over 80 ports, linked to over 250 ports
•First and only green port on the East Coast
•11,000 feet of on-site rail directly linked to 3,400 miles of track.
•Suez class cranes
•Deepest channels on the East Coast (50 feet)
•No overhead obstructions
•One of the world’s largest natural harbors
•3rd largest port on the East Coast
•7th largest port in the country
•Servicing the largest ships on the East Coast
Deepest. Fastest. Greenest.
IMAGES PROVIDED BY PORT OF VIRGINIA
Issue 17 | November 2013 | 5
The Office of Economic
Development welcomes the
newly merged Prudential
Manasco Realty expansion
to the River District.
Coldwell Banker Johnson Realty, a
residential and commercial brokerage
business, has joined Prudential
Manasco Realty in Danville. With the
addition of 37 agents, Prudential
Manasco is one of the largest real
estate firms in the Dan River Region,
serving Danville and Pittsylvania
County in Virginia, and Caswell and
Rockingham County in North Carolina.
The merger brings additional
experienced residential agents to
better serve the community. Owner
Carl Manasco also announced the
expansion of the existing office at
523 Main Street in Danville’s River
District. Construction is expected to
be completed by end of December
2013.
Prudential Real Estate is a subsidy
of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The
franchises are independently
owned and operated, and acquired
companies are selected based on
outstanding performance records
and high levels of customer service.
Prudential Real Estate enables
its brokers to use market leading
internet technology and social media
and is one of the largest real estate
brokerage franchise networks in
North America with more than 1,500
offices and 50,000 sales professionals.
C O M PA N Y U P D AT E S
Telvista began operating
in 1997 as a small contact center
based in Texas and merged with an
international outsourcer in 2002.
They have grown into a multinational
organization by continuing to offer
broader contact center solutions for
their clients.
Telvista boasts a 93% retention rate
of employees in the last three years
in their Danville office. In a recent
meeting with community leaders,
the Telvista executive team, located
at the corporate headquarters
in Dallas, described the Danville
area workforce as a large pool of
educated personnel. The numerous
local and regional colleges
and universities create a high
concentration of skilled customer
service workers.
“Danville is the best decision we’ve
ever made,” said David Arellano,
COO of Telvista “The employees here
are flexible and sustainable.”
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The Prospect
Telvista came to Danville and located
in Airside Industrial Park in 2005,
making it the first location east of
their corporate office. The company
works on a contractual basis for the
outsourcing of customer service
and social media monitoring and
engagement. Telvista’s Danville
center has 50,000 square feet and
employs over 300 people. The token
accent of the region can be an asset
for a Telvista employee. According
to the executive team, clients find
that their customers are calmed by
a Southern drawl on the other end
| City of Danville, Office of Economic Development
of the line and a representative they
can clearly understand.
Danville employees of Telvista enjoy
a state of the art facility with a
unique break room, furnished with
a foosball table and “Danville’s only
free” pool table. Along with the
training employees receive, specific
to client needs, Telvista offers a
tuition reimbursement program for
classes at local institutions. For more
information about Telvista and the
job openings available, visit www.
telvista.com/telvista-careers.
FEATURED
PROPERTY
542 Bridge St
Danville, Virginia
FOR LEASE
The newly remodeled Pemberton Lofts have
commercial space available perfect for a
variety of food service venues. The Pemberton
provides a blank canvas with plenty of historic
character in a prime River District location.
•7,750 Sq Ft
•$6,000/month
•2 levels
•Handicap accessible
•Parking Available
•Riverview Outdoor Patio
•Indoor Atrium Seating Area
•Bridge Street Location
www.discoverdanvillesites.com
Click here to access the most recent Economic Outlook Report!
Issue 17 | November 2013 | 7
VISIT
BUSINESS LICENSE TAX REBATES
were presented to businesses in November for
job creation in Danville. Congratulations and
thank you for your efforts in the community.
Piedmont Precision Machine Co., Inc.
Woodall Cheverolet/GM
THE
River
District
This Holiday Season!
Restaurants
Shopping
Events
Holiday Sales
and More!
Visit
www.riverdistrictnews.blogspot.com
for more details.
Jarrett Welding
8|
The Prospect
| City of Danville, Office of Economic Development
&
NEWS UPDATES
• • September 20
•••
Connect with us and stay up to date!
Governor Bob McDonnell announced
North American Mold Technology
(NAMT) will invest $4.35 million to
establish a manufacturing operation in
the City of Danville. The company will
produce and refurbish the molds used
in the manufacture of tires creating
120 new jobs. The Virginia Economic
Development Partnership worked with
the City of Danville and the Southern
Virginia Regional Alliance to secure
the project for Virginia.
• • October 10
River District dining option, 316 Cibo, announced a concept change to
Dell’Anno’s Pizza Kitchen. Located at 316 Main Street, the new concept offers
a variety of soups, salads, pizza-by-the-slice, and other Italian favorites.
Dell’Anno’s Pizza Kitchen opened for business in early November with live
music on Thursday evenings and a nightly happy hour special.
• • October 17
The Regional Industrial Facility Authority and the Industrial Development
Authority of Danville announced that Zeyuan Flooring International Corp. is
locating its first United States manufacturing facility in Cane Creek Centre.
The company will invest $15 million and employ 100 people over a three-year
period. The company has selected property located behind GOK International
on Cane Creek Parkway. It will take approximately nine months to build the
facility.
Meet Nancy!
The Office of Economic Development welcomes Nan ‘Nancy’ Sun to
our staff. Nancy is from Langfang, China, and recently was graduated
from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business with a Master’s
of Business Administration. Before coming to the US, she earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in general business in China, where she
won the first and second prize as Excellent Student of her college. At
Virginia Tech, she was a member of the MBA Association and served
as a student panelist for the academic honor system.
Nan is using her bilingual skills and academic background to help
connect Chinese investors to the Dan River Region.
427 Patton Street
P.O. Box 3300
Danville, VA 24543
Tel: 434.793.1753
Fax: 434.797.9606
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
www.discoverdanville.com