Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 14, 1992 TAG: 9202140285
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B9 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: BRISTOL LENGTH: Medium
MARKETING EFFORTS GET FEDERAL FUNDS
Two organizations marketing Southwest Virginia to potential new industries have received an infusion of federal funds through the Tennessee Valley Authority.Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, announced the $100,000 in TVA money for the Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Mount Rogers Development Partnership this week.
These are the first federal funds those agencies have received.
The authority, established in 1988, covers the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Tazewell and Russell and the city of Norton. It is funded with a quarter of 1 percent of the coal-severance tax adopted in those localities, along with contributions from businesses and individuals.
The partnership, set up in 1989 for Wythe, Smyth, Carroll, Grayson, Bland and Washington counties and the cities of Galax and Bristol, has gotten its money from the participating local governments and business contributions.
The Lenowisco Planning District Commission will act as fiscal agent for the funds and work out their division with the two marketing organizations.
"At the moment, it's for one year," Boucher said, but he hoped that the agencies would demonstrate to TVA that the investment might justify a renewal. "It's up to us to do that. Now the ball's in our court."
All 22 counties and cities in Boucher's 9th Congressional District now have marketing organizations to seek new industry. But only those in the Lenowisco, Cumberland Plateau and Mount Rogers planning districts lie in the TVA service area.
Some of the money is likely to go into printing high-quality directories of marketing sites and buildings for the region, and financing trips by organization representatives to visit industrial prospects in other parts of the country, Boucher said. "They will produce solid results in the years ahead."
Dale Gordon of Bristol, vice chairman of the partnership, said some of those contacts could be businesses that have been brought on visits to the region through Boucher's "Showcasing Southwest Virginia" program.
"Never before have we had the cooperation of the counties, cities, state and federal government working together to sell Southwest Virginia," said authority Chairman James Robinson of Wise County. "With the funds coming in today, I think that you will see tremendous successes in the area."