Posted on 04/19/2017 8:34:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
State and local officials gathered in Wise this afternoon to formally announce the anticipated creation of 40 jobs at DP Facilities Inc.’s Mineral Gap data center in the Lonesome Pine Business and Technology Park. A press conference beginning at 2 p.m. at The Inn at Wise highlighted details about the more than 65,000-square-foot facility, which was completed in October 2016.
In a press release issued today, DP Facilities President Mark Gerard announced that Mineral Gap, a mission critical Tier III data center, represents a $65 million construction investment on 22 acres in the tech park. “Mineral Gap will provide continuous operational continuity with experts available around the clock, cutting edge technologies, and back-up systems,” Gerard said in the release. Virginia Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson said the company’s decision to locate here “is great news for Southwest Virginia and the Commonwealth. Growing the technology based businesses in the Commonwealth and particularly in rural parts of the state, is key to our efforts to build the New Virginia Economy.”
State Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore called the announcement “a testament to our workforce development efforts throughout the Commonwealth, but especially in Southwest Virginia, providing more Virginians with the high tech skill set they need to support businesses like DP Facilities Inc.”
County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dana Kilgore was quoted as saying: “This project offers tremendous opportunities for additional development and we hope other high-technology companies will recognize, as DP Facilities did, that Wise County is committed to transforming the region into a secure technology corridor. Abundant broadband fiber, redundant electrical power, and collaboration with the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Mountain Empire Community College make Wise County an ideal location for any number of strategic partnerships in technology.”
Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher noted that the authority helped the county Industrial Development Authority secure the project by agreeing to let the tech park land be used at no cost. “With this new data center, there are now several Tier III level data centers operating in the region, which VCEDA markets as Virginia’s e-Region for its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, and emerging technologies.”
Del. Terry Kilgore, chairman of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, noted that the commission provided funds to help bring the facility here. “Any day that you create jobs is a great day.” Look for complete coverage of the announcement in Friday’s Coalfield Progress.
Good news. But I hope they train local folks to work there and not import some dot heads.
A relevative set up a similar project in West Virginia. It as a total failure and waste of millions of dollars. Big hoopla at first with the Governor, etc. When it was over it seemed to be a way to get a guy’s building upgraded. Total corruption.
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