Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority

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Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority

VCEDA works to diversify the economy in Southwest Virginia and to assist in the creation of jobs.

09/07/2026

Labor Day reminds us of what it takes to keep our communities moving. We know the strength of a hard day’s work — the coal miners, gas field workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, small‑business owners, first responders, farmers and more, who show up -- day after day -- to help build the community.

Today is about honoring the American worker and we hope today brings you a chance to sit back and relax! Happy Labor Day!

09/05/2026

Residential construction, renovation and repair services are what Rice Construction Services, Inc. offers in Buchanan County and beyond, according to owner, Shannon Rice, a Virginia-licensed contractor who started the company to meet a growing demand for reliable, skilled construction services in the region.

Rice Construction Services, Inc. is a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant. Seed capital grants are funded from regional funds received by VCEDA which are paid by the natural gas industry.

The business projects four full-time employees and two part-time employees within five years.
https://vceda.us/rice-construction-services-inc-approved-for-vceda-seed-capital-grant/

09/04/2026

VCEDA Business Development Specialists Diane Thomas and Charlotte Mullins represented VCEDA at the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) annual conference in Florida last month. Local economic developers Brian Falin, Wise County; and John Kilgore, Scott County; and UVA-Wise’s Richard Johnson were also in attendance from the region. This year’s conference drew more than 700 economic development professionals from throughout the south and focused on the state of the American South and examined economic trends in the SEDC region.

09/03/2026

Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher has been named to the Virginia Business Power 500 listing for the fifth year in a row.

The 2026-2027 list recognizes what the magazine defines as Virginia’s most powerful and impactful leaders in business, government, non-profits and higher education. Leaders are categorized among 20 sectors, including banking, economic development, government contracting, healthcare, law and real estate.

Read more: https://vceda.us/belcher-named-to-virginia-business-power-500-list-4/

09/01/2026

The status of the Coalfields Expressway in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as opportunities for collaboration between both states, were the topics of discussion among members of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the West Virginia Department of Transportation as representatives from the two states met Monday in Princeton, WV.

Also in attendance from Virginia were Virginia Del. Will Morefield and Shane Clem from the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.

Read more: https://vceda.us/virginia-west-virginia-officials-meet-to-discuss-status-of-cfx-in-both-states/

08/31/2026

Making art accessible to everyone is what Bronwyn Owen said she hopes her working art studio, Big Blue Art, in Bluefield, VA is continuing to accomplish, providing opportunities for all ages to experience the arts.

Big Blue Art is a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant. Seed capital grants are funded from regional funds received by VCEDA which are paid by the natural gas industry.

The business projects one full-time employee and two part-time employees within five years.

Read more: https://vceda.us/vceda-seed-capital-grant-approved-for-big-blue-art/

08/28/2026

A $1.6 million grant from Virginia Energy Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program to the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority will provide the remaining funding needed to complete the Corridor Q / Rt 460 / CFX Paving Project, according to Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher.

The funding announcement was made Friday by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

“The AMLER funding announced by the governor is the final piece of the puzzle for this section of the Coalfields Expressway project in Buchanan County,” Belcher said. “It will support design, construction and oversight to expand the Route 460 Connector Phase IIA within Corridor Q from two lanes with truck-climbing lanes to a four-lane highway near the Breaks Interstate Park.”

Read more: https://vceda.us/1-6-million-amler-grant-announced-for-cfx-project-in-buchanan-county/

08/27/2026

VCEDA was a sponsor and exhibited at the 12th annual Southwest Virginia Manufacturing Expo 2026 August 19 at the Higher Ed Center in Abingdon, VA. A record number of manufacturers attended the day-long Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM) event that included exhibits from manufacturers and other organizations and breakout sessions on AI, new regulations governing manufacturing, ideas for optimizing warehouse operations, and a panel discussion on "Manufacturing in Southwest Virginia: Strong Today, Build for Tomorrow." Jessica Savage, chief strategic officer, West River Conveyors; and William (Bill) Regert, environmental health & safety director for VFP, Inc., joined representatives from Hitachi Energy and Hapco Pole Products on the manufacturing panel. Savage shared West River's experiences dealing with business interruptions, response and support from the community to get back up and running soon after a fire at their manufacturing facility and ongoing progress building a new manufacturing plant at Southern Gap in Buchanan County, expected to open in 2027. Regert talked of VFP's latest expansion at the Duffield facility in Scott County and praised the workforce of 500. Marketing Coordinator Susan Copeland represented VCEDA at the event.

08/25/2026

VCEDA was pleased to take part in a regional familiarization tour held earlier this month for members of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) team, including, Joe Topham, director, business investment; Pandy Brazeau, senior business manager; Molly Olson, director; Gabby Dean, business manager; Jake Phillips, business manager; Star Cranston, business manager; and Alex Taylor, senior business manager. Jessi Fritz, senior business manager, regional talent solutions and business outreach with VEDP, who is based in the region, was also in attendance. While in the region, the VEDP team toured the Bluestone Regional Business and Technology Park in Tazewell County; Simmons Equipment Company, the Russell Regional Business Technology Park and the Northrop Grumman building in Russell County; Paul's Fan Company and the Southern Gap Industrial Park in Buchanan County; Red Onion Industrial Park and Wildwood Recovery Center in Dickenson County; UVA-Wise and Lonesome Pine Regional Business and Technology Park in Wise County; Intersection Business and Industry Park, EarthLink and Wrap Technology in Norton; VFP in Scott County; and Constitutional Oaks Industrial Park in Lee County. While in Wise, a reception was held at the Inn at Wise which was attended by regional economic development leaders.

08/22/2026

VCEDA Business Development Specialists Diane Thomas and Charlotte Mullins represented VCEDA at the 7th annual Tourism Summit and Awards event held earlier this month. A number of Southwest Virginia venues received recognition for their work in the tourism economy in Southwest Virginia. The annual event is hosted by The Friends of Southwest Virginia.

Address

527 E. Main Street
Lebanon, VA
24266

Telephone

+18007359999

Website

http://www.vceda.us/

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