TOBACCO REGION REVITALIZATION COMMISSION MEETS IN MARTINSVILLE
COMMISSION APPROVES 17 FUNDING REQUESTS
COMMISSION AUTHORIZES CREATION OF TOBACCO REGION INCENTIVE FOR AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (TRIAD)
Martinsville, VA – The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission held its final scheduled meeting for the year on Thursday, September 26th, in Martinsville with Committee meetings held the day prior. The Commission was hosted by Patrick & Henry Community College at their Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Complex (The MET). The Commission has supported Patrick & Henry Community College through a number of grants over the years, including for renovation and other projects related to The MET.
The Commission approved 17 funding requests in support of a variety of organizations and initiatives across Southern and Southwest Virginia.
Funded projects include investments in energy innovation, support for agriculture in the region, strategic marketing initiatives, site development and more. These awards are part of the Commission’s 25 years of work helping to rebuild the economies of Southern and Southwest Virginia.
For a full list of projects approved at this meeting please CLICK HERE. For more information, the meeting packet on our website contains detailed project descriptions, staff comments, grant requirements and other business, including project extensions and modifications to previous awards.
Tobacco Commission Chairman, The Honorable Frank Ruff said, “I am particularly proud of the Commission’s investment in education and workforce training over the last 25 years. The success of the Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology Complex here at Patrick & Henry Community College is a great example of that investment in action. Nothing is more important than making sure our rural communities in Southern and Southwest Virginia have the same opportunities as residents in other areas of the Commonwealth. I am confident that the Commission’s continued efforts in education, workforce development and the other areas discussed at our meetings over the last two days will continue to produce results for Southern and Southwest Virginia for years to come.”
Tobacco Commission Executive Director James Campos added, “Our meetings over the last two days here in Martinsville are part of my continued effort to make sure that the Commission has a presence in every one of our footprint localities. I encourage anyone with a potential project, program or any other idea that could benefit Southern or Southwest Virginia, to reach out to myself or the Commission staff.
I am excited about each of the projects approved at this meeting, and the benefits they will bring to our communities, as well as the Commission’s approval of our latest program, the Tobacco Region Incentive for Agribusiness Development. While the Commission has a long history of funding impactful agribusiness projects, this program will refocus our efforts on Virginia’s largest private industry and harness the growth and innovation in agriculture and forestry to bring jobs and investment to Southern and Southwest Virginia. This program, like our recently launched Workforce Housing Pilot Program which was created in response to Governor Youngkin’s call for housing solutions, is part of the Commission’s effort to expand our reach and ensure that we are doing everything we can to accelerate growth in the communities we serve.
I am also pleased to see that the Commission approved several energy projects through our Energy Innovation Fund. Access to affordable, reliable energy is critical to the economic success of the Commonwealth, and a necessity as we work to further build the economies of the communities in the Tobacco Region. These projects are just a start, and I look forward to seeing more impactful and innovative energy projects in future rounds of the program.”
Tobacco Region Incentive for Agribusiness Development Program
The Commission authorized the creation of the Tobacco Region Incentive for Agribusiness Development Program (TRIAD). The purpose of TRIAD is to provide the cities and counties of the Tobacco Region, and the political subdivisions that support them, an economic development incentive for attracting new or expanding agriculture and forestry-based businesses that add value to products grown in the Tobacco Region. The program’s goal is to bring beneficial economic activity, along with new jobs and investment, to the Tobacco Region while also creating new market opportunities for farmers and forestland owners operating there. For complete information on this program, please refer to page 39 of the Commission Meeting Book.
About The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is a 28-member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. Its mission is the promotion of economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities, using proceeds of the national tobacco settlement. To date, the Commission has awarded over 2000 grants totaling more than $1.1 billion across the tobacco region of the Commonwealth, and has provided $309 million in indemnification payments to tobacco growers and quota holders.
www.revitalizeva.org
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jordan Butler at 804-786-7692 or email at jbutler@revitalizeva.org