PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Virginia Governor Ralph Northam joined dozens of Pittsylvania County leaders for a groundbreaking on Wednesday.
Staunton River Plastics is investing $34 million and more than 200 jobs in the town of Hurt.
“It’s a big deal for Hurt, a big deal for Pittsylvania County, and a great day for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Gov. Northam.
This came one day after CNBC named Virginia the best state for business — for the second year in a row.
The governor credits areas like Pittsylvania County, which was once bustling with manufacturing.
“After the recession, a lot of that went away; and they just picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. They never complained. They worked hard collaboratively, everybody together, to make projects like today happen,” said Northam.
The new plant will sit on 250,000 square feet.
The site was once home to textile giant Burlington Industries, one of the largest employers in the county.
Leaders say when it closed in 2007, it brought economic difficulty. Now, they’re revitalizing.
“This is a story of a community continuing to believe in itself. This is a story of a town working to create a new identity after the loss of the pillar industry,” said Tim Dudley, a member of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors
It’s a new chapter for what they hope is a success story.
“They are a role model for the rest of Virginia,” said Northam.
The plant is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022.