Photo above: Coalfield region companies in the 2016-2018 class of the Go Global with Coal and Energy Technology program, sponsored by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) in a collaboration with the Governor's Office and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), recently graduated during ceremonies in Richmond, Va. From left, are Todd Elswick, Paul’s Fans; Diane Thomas, ...

Photo above: Cornerstone Hospitality CEO Kimberly Christner speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony July 26.   The on-again, off-again Sessions Hotel project in Bristol, Va., is on again. Ground was broken July 26 for the 70-room boutique hotel on State Street originally that had originally been announced in Dec. 2013. The hotel, once slated to open in spring 2015, is now scheduled to open its doors next ...

Photo above: Happier times: Bristol Compressors vice president Kevin Mumpower, left, with DHX executives. Bristol Compressors executives Tuesday told the company’s 470 employees in Washington County, Va., the plant there will close in 60 days. The Department of Labor mandates that 60 days notice is required when a business with more than 100 full-time workers (not counting workers who have less than six mon ...

San Bernadino, Cal.-based Anita’s Snack Foods held its official ribbon cutting in Kingsport Tuesday morning, about 60 days after beginning operations in the former Pure Foods building in the Gateway Commerce Park at Tri-Cities Crossing. The company acquired the Kingsport operation in May. “Anita’s Mexican Foods is expanding its business across the nation,” CEO Ricardo Robles said. “We are now able to supply ...

France-based Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, Inc. will invest $26 million to establish a bourbon barrel cooperage in Smyth County, Va., and $9 million in a new stave mill facility in Washington County, Va. The stave mill will supply the company’s new Smyth County cooperage, and the two operations will ramp up simultaneously. The announcement came from the office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who said the ...

Photo above: Aundrea Wilcox, KOSBE executive director The Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE) has announced the inaugural Propel Mentor/Protégé Program class: Angela Braan – Cassia’s Salon & Spa (Kingsport, TN) Anthony Pasquale and Jeremy Lizotte – Insight Polymers & Compounding (Kingsport, TN) Robert Sheffey – Rowan Tree Care (Johnson City, TN) Joyce Brown ...

Tennessee was listed this week among five states that are leading the way in the use of data to create evidence-based results for citizens, in a report issued by the national nonprofit organization Results for America. Tennessee joined Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington as states recognized for outstanding performance. The recognition was announced at an event today in Washington hosted by the Natio ...

Pyranha, a maker of roto-molded canoes and kayaks based in the United Kingdom, has announced the relocation of its North American distribution facility to Erwin. Pyranha has led the research and development of composite and polymer kayaks since the early 1970s. The company has chosen a site along the Nolichucky River as a North American distribution center. Headquartered in the United Kingdom near Liverpool ...

Northeast State Community College has named Dr. Sam Rowell vice president for Academic Affairs. Rowell has served as interim vice president for Academic Affairs since January 2017. Prior to that he served as interim dean of the Advanced Technologies division before being named full-time dean of that division in 2012. “I expected this job would be demanding and it has exceeded my expectations,” Rowell said. ...

It was announced on Thursday morning that Covenant Transportation Group has completed its acquisition of Landair Holdings, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, CTG purchased all of Landair’s outstanding stock in exchange for approximately $83 million in cash. Landair was founded in 1981 by Scott Niswonger and Ed Sayler. Presently, Landair operates approximately 430 trucks and 900 trailers and manages 12 d ...