49 NEW JOBS COMING TO DANVILLE-PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY
Harlow Group to Establish Manufacturing Plant
Richmond, VA – Governor Ralph Northam announced today that Harlow Group Ltd. will establish their first U.S. manufacturing facility in Danville-Pittsylvania County. The facility will be located in the Danville-Pittsylvania County Cyber Park. Harlow Group will also establish a U.S. Training Center of Excellence at the facility. The Tobacco Commission is supporting this project with a $315,000 Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund (TROF) grant and a $630,000 TROF loan. The Tobacco Commission has also supported the development of the Cyber Park with a $300,000 grant.
Tobacco Commission member, Senator Bill Stanley said, “Manufacturing has always been an important part of the economy in Southside Virginia. In choosing to locate their first U.S. manufacturing facility here in Danville and Pittsylvania County, Harlow Group shows that we have the workforce and assets to compete for the high-tech manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow. The jobs Harlow Group is creating, as well as the training they will offer at their training center, will be a boost to our economy for years to come, and I am pleased that the Tobacco Commission chose to support this project.”
Tobacco Commission member, Delegate Danny Marshall added, “We are excited that Harlow Group has chosen our region for its first U.S. sheet metal fabrication plant. This is especially good news because we have been preparing for companies like theirs for several years by investing in workforce training. There is a pipeline of workers already trained and others currently enrolled in precision machining, welding, and other skills that will provide a ready workforce. We appreciate the good jobs they are bringing and the investment in our area.”
The Harlow Group is a market-leading provider of precision sheet metalwork, fabrications and assemblies. Established in 1975 and based in the United Kingdom, the company has grown in size and experience. Supplying some of the best-known names in the world, the Harlow Group works with a broad range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, consumer and industrial electronics, marine, medical, retail, vending, telecommunications and energy.
Harlow Group CEO and founder Alan Pearce said, “After a two-year process looking at a number of alternative possibilities to expand into the U.S., we are delighted to finally conclude our decision to invest in Danville, Virginia. Virginians have been amongst the most welcoming and friendly people and their appetite to make things work and overcome obstacles is second to none. The inspirational leadership of Troy Simpson has made the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research a world beating Education and Technology centre, producing highly motivated and capable students and stands as a beacon to the rest of the world to emulate. The ambition of Virginia to embrace new technology and invest in the future will keep the Commonwealth as the number one destination for expansion and business investment and we are extremely proud to be associated with Danville and the State of Virginia.”
City of Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones added, “We are delighted that the Harlow Group has chosen Danville and Pittsylvania County for its first U.S. manufacturing facility, to be called Harlow Fastech. When this region made the commitment to invest in a state-of-the-art workforce training program with the facilities necessary to adequately educate our students to be world-class workers, we believed we would create a magnet to draw aerospace and automotive metal working companies from around the world. Our students and residents could be employed in”
The Tobacco Commission is committed to developing a diverse economy in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Attracting businesses like Harlow Group, along with the jobs and investment they bring, is an important part of reaching this goal.
Contact: Jordan Butler
Telephone: 804-786-7692
Cell: 757-692-0878
Email: jbutler@revitalizeva.org
Website: www.revitalizeva.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11/1/2018