Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

EDC mixes business, racing

Mar 30, 2008
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer. Race weekends at Martinsville Speedway are prime opportunities to showcase the area and highlight its positive aspects.

No one knows that better that Mark Heath, president and CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.

Heath, along with many EDC officials, are spending most of the weekend manning the agency’s suite at the speedway, touting the area to invited guests.

While “we’re doing business and promoting the area, it’s sort of a soft sell,” Heath said, and the overriding goal is that guests enjoy their visits.

The EDC’s race tickets are divided among its various departments so a mixture of people are invited, Heath said.

For example, Tourism Director David Rotenizer receives some of the tickets. Heath said they may be used by managers of welcome centers around the state who “come to learn how to promote Martinsville.”

Lisa Fultz, director of small and minority business for the EDC, invites small business suppliers from other locations to use the tickets, Heath said.

Some tickets are used for existing industries that may have business clients in the area, while others are given to consultants “to help them learn more about Martinsville-Henry County,” Heath said. And, of course, “if we have current clients, we invite them.”

While he would not discuss any current or potential clients, Heath said three executives from RTI International, a new company moving to Henry County, are attending this week’s race events. One of the three is an executive vice president who has not visited Martinsville in the past or “been down to see this plant,” Heath said.

Two RTI engineers also attended the event, he said, and one arrived on Thursday to take care of some business at the new location in the Patriot Centre. The engineer is a drag-racing driver who “loves racing,” Heath said.

Attracting company executives to the Martinsville races is not difficult because “a lot of people love racing ... . There are a lot of race fans,” he said.

On Friday, EDC officials worked with about 15 guests in the EDC’s suite at the speedway, and Heath estimated that number would rise to between 25 and 30 on Saturday and 45 to 50 today.

The majority of guests are “people who have some knowledge” of the area, Heath said, and the learning experience available at the racetrack “is really good for them.”

Each race offers a new mix of visitors, Heath said. For instance, last year, the EDC partnered with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and hosted 20 to 25 prospects considering possible moves to various areas of Virginia.

Because similar partnerships are challenging to coordinate, Heath said the EDC does that only “every couple of years.”

Immediately following the race, EDC officials will evaluate their marketing efforts and “in about a month, we’ll set down and talk about targets (visitors) for the October race,” Heath said.

But this race weekend, as many visitors, their spouses and possibly children attend the race, EDC officials “are constantly working,” Heath said. “First and foremost, we want them to enjoy the experience of being here.”

Amanda Witt, president of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, said chamber members are a welcome committee of sorts.

On Saturday, several chamber members were in various areas of the speedway, meeting with representatives from different agencies to express the chamber’s gratitude for past support, she said.

Witt, who was conducting driver interviews, said she also met with Goody’s representatives, as well as officials from “the TUMS group,” which will sponsor the October race.

“I introduced myself” and offered any assistance needed and mainly spent time “just being hospitable,” she said.

This year in particular, hospitality is stressed. In fact, Goody’s and the speedway co-sponsored hospitality training in an effort to teach “front-line employees to be courteous and hospitable” to visitors, Witt said.

The chamber also spends a lot of time before the race putting up banners and answering daily calls from people searching for accommodations, she said.

A race die-hard fan, Witt said she will not work during today’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

“I go to the race on Sunday to watch the race,” she said.