Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

In the middle of everything

Jul 26, 2007
By Southern Business & Development STAFF. Martinsville-Henry County could quite possibly be the most conveniently located town on the East Coast.

It’s one of those communities where people still wave hello to everyone they meet on the street. It’s small enough to keep costs down, but big enough to get the job done – whatever the job.

Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia has been a quiet locale for a long time now. Sure, they host a couple of NASCAR Nextel Cup races every year and are within a short drive of Roanoke and Greensboro. But this community remains something of a hidden gem at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But that secret would change quickly if corporate America recognized what this place really offers. Martinsville-Henry County is conveniently located, offers great transportation advantages, abundant skilled labor, a high quality of life and low cost for doing business. But, up until now, that was all kept pretty quiet.

Location, location, location

Martinsville-Henry County is perfectly located to provide convenient access to the entire Eastern United States. It is within 650 miles of 54 percent of the US population. In addition, it has four major interstates within 50 miles that connect the community to virtually the rest of the country.

And being located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains doesn’t hurt either. Martinsville-Henry County is not only minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and one of the most scenic drives in America, but also a virtually unlimited range of outdoor recreation.

In addition, two major airports are within 50 miles of town and the Norfolk Southern Railways provide freight services to major ports along the East Coast.

That accessibility proves an advantage for drawing skilled workers. Martinsville-Henry County has a workforce of nearly 750,000 people within a 50-mile radius. Martinsville-Henry County maintains one of the lowest unionization rates in the country and a long-standing textile and furniture manufacturing history, which has created a workforce where more than 50 percent are already trained in manufacturing skills.

A place to live

But trained workers, high quality of life and accessibility don’t come at a high price here. Construction rates in Martinsville-Henry County are 28 percent below national averages and the median price for a single family home is almost one-third the national average. Utilities rates also average almost 38 percent below the rest of the country.

And retirees are finding Virginia to be an excellent place to settle. The state ranked fifth in the nation in a recent survey of the most livable states by providing outstanding health care and a reasonable cost of living.

Combine those advantages with highly competitive incentive packages for business, reasonable tax rates and an incredibly pleasant local climate and you have a package that’s very hard to beat.

With plenty to see and plenty to do, Martinsville-Henry County is the kind of community that appeals to almost everyone. It’s conveniently located, beautiful and offers an extremely high quality of life. If they’re not careful, the community’s secret could get out.