McDonnell Focuses on Jobs in Visit to Martinsville
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2010
Contact: Stacey Johnson
Phone: (804) 225-4260
E-mail: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Governor McDonnell Focuses on Jobs in Visit to Martinsville
Holds Meeting with Workers Recently Laid Off from American of Martinsville
—Presents Small Business Loan Check to New Local Employer Monogram Foods—
MARTINSVILLE- Governor Bob McDonnell traveled to Martinsville today to visit personally with workers recently laid-off from American of Martinsville and to formally present a loan check from the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority to Monogram Snacks. The loan provided by the VSBFA has enabled the company to expand its operations and create an additional 110 jobs. Governor McDonnell pledged during the 2009 campaign that during their Administration either he or Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling would be on the ground in economically-distressed Southern Virginia once every thirty days. This marks the 8th visit by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor since January. Lieutenant Governor Bolling will return to Southern Virginia on Wednesday.
Speaking about the visit with former American of Martinsville workers, Governor McDonnell remarked, “The closing of the American of Martinsville operation is another difficult blow for a region that has suffered from one of the consistently highest unemployment rates in the state over the last decade. For the men and women who lost their jobs at American, this is a devastating occurrence. I wanted to be on the ground and meeting with them as quickly as possible. The workers going through this tough period deserve all the assistance we can offer. I have directed all relevant state agencies to help them gain access to job assistance and counseling programs, tuition for job training and relocation assistance. This Administration will be there for Virginians who are laid off in this tough economy. We are committed to helping these great workers find the new jobs they need and deserve.”
Governor McDonnell continued, “One company creating new jobs in Martinsville is Monogram Foods. Not long ago, many feared that another major employer in the area would be shutting its doors as well. When American Food Group announced plans to close its manufacturing facility, 130 jobs were on the line. Thankfully Monogram Food Solutions of Memphis stepped up to buy the facility and its equipment. The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, and leaders in the region, helped make the purchase possible. That purchase saved the 130 jobs that were at risk, and Monogram has since added 110 more. This is the kind of economic success story we need more of here in Southern Virginia. I’d like to especially thank the economic development staff from the Martinsville/Henry County Economic Development Corporation, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance who have worked with the company throughout the last year to ensure that Monogram’s newest manufacturing facility would be located here in Virginia. The Martinsville/Henry County area and its residents have found a wonderful corporate partner in Monogram, and we look forward to a long and successful business relationship.”
Over the last month, American of Martinsville, a furniture manufacturer specializing in senior living facilities, has permanently laid off 208 workers. Along with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) and Virginia Community College Rapid Response staff, Governor McDonnell is providing a full complement of workforce services to the citizens of Martinsville that have been impacted by this closure. American of Martinsville has been certified eligible for Trade Act assistance by the U. S. Department of Labor, which allows eligible workers to take advantage of special job search assistance, tuition for training, relocation assistance, and on-the-job training opportunities.
Eight years ago in 2002, economic developers with the Martinsville/Henry County Economic Development Corporation and the state of Virginia were successful in recruiting a Pennsylvania manufacturer of meat snacks to the Martinsville/Henry County area. This facility was acquired several years later by American Food Group, which sold the facility and its equipment to Monogram Food Solutions. Had this purchase not happened, the former owner, American Food Group, planned to close the facility and eliminate the existing 130 jobs at the plant. Today, Governor McDonnell ceremonially presented the $2 million loan check from the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority to Monogram Snacks Martinsville that helped to ensure the company’s purchase of the facility, and the retention of the 130 existing jobs and subsequent addition of 110 more to date. The Martinsville facility (Monogram Snacks Martinsville) primarily manufactures beef jerky and related products which are sold under a variety of private labels, including Jeff Foxworthy Beef Jerky and Uncle Bucks’s Beef Jerky, which is sold in Bass Pro Shops.