Made In SWVA
Made In SWVA
SVAM Member News Update—Quarter 1, 2025
In this episode of SVAM Member News Update, we highlight major investments, facility expansions, safety milestones, and award recognitions from Southwest Virginia’s manufacturing community. Hear the latest on Lawrence Brothers’ expansion in Bluefield, Hitachi Energy’s growth in Atkins and Bland, Somic America’s top-tier supplier award, and a strong recovery effort from West River Conveyors. We also recognize Mohawk’s Hillsville facility for achieving Level 1 in their Safety Management System.
Plus, SVAM spotlights the 2024 Manufacturing Awards Banquet, the 2025 Women of Manufacturing Symposium and Outstanding Women of Manufacturing awards, recent student outreach events like Manufacture Your Career and Opportunities in Manufacturing, and member-only opportunities that continue to build the region’s industrial strength.
SVAM members are invited to submit news for the next episode by emailing programassistant@swvam.org.
Interested in becoming a member of SVAM?
Meet the honorees at the 2024 SWVA Manufacturing Awards Banquet
Meet the honorees at the 2025 Women of Manufacturing Symposium
SVAM members in this episode:
Episode Transcript
Published: 5/7/2025
Welcome to the first episode of the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing's Member News Update, your quick roundup of significant developments and achievements from Southwest Virginia's manufacturing community over the past quarter. From investments and awards to events and resources, we're bringing you the manufacturing-related news that matters—all in one place.
Let's start with a major expansion in Bluefield. Lawrence Brothers, Inc., a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer specializing in heavy metal fabrication, has secured a $1.315 million loan from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority to support its growth plans. This funding will assist in expanding their operations, enhancing production capabilities, and creating new job opportunities in the region.
Founded in 1974, Lawrence Brothers has been a cornerstone of the local manufacturing community, providing custom solutions for various industries. This latest investment underscores their commitment to innovation and regional economic development.
In other significant news, Hitachi Energy is investing $22.5 million to expand and modernize its dry-type transformer operations in Southwest Virginia. This includes the acquisition of a new 75,000-square-foot facility in Atkins and substantial upgrades to their existing Bland plant. These enhancements aim to boost production capacity and reinforce Hitachi Energy's longstanding presence in the region.
Big congratulations are in order for Somic America, recognized with Toyota's Superior Quality Performance Award—one of only four handed out across North America. With operations in Wytheville, Virginia, and Brewer, Maine, Somic is setting the global standard in steering components and reinforcing its reputation for excellence.
Following a devastating fire, West River Conveyors is poised for a strong comeback. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority has approved up to $4 million in loan funding to help the company relocate and rebuild at Southern Gap Industrial Park in Buchanan County. This investment marks a significant step in their recovery and future growth.
In Bristol, Universal Fibers is ramping up investment in its nylon 6,6 product line. With new spinning capacity for both solution dyed and natural yarns, the company is prepared to support new clients as the fiber market shifts. This move positions Universal Fibers as a key player amid industry change.
Mohawk Industries’ Hillsville facility has officially reached Level 1 – 'The Mohawk Standard' as part of the company’s new Safety Management System. This Level 1 certification marks compliance with life-safety standards and is a foundational step in a four-tier system designed to promote long-term safety improvements across all business locations.
Senior Plant Manager Chad Whittington shared his pride in the Hillsville team, thanking team members like Wendy Browne for their dedication to creating a culture where safety is everyone’s job. He emphasized that the team is already looking ahead to Level 2—which focuses on leadership development and employee engagement in safety practices.
Reaching this milestone isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a reflection of the team’s commitment, attention to detail, and belief that safety excellence is just as important as production goals. Congratulations to the Hillsville team for setting the standard in workplace safety.
Before we move into SVAM’s updates, we want to take a minute to recognize a tradition of longevity and commitment in Wythe County.
On April 24th, the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County held its annual Tenure Awards Luncheon at the Wytheville Meeting Center. This event celebrates local companies that have maintained operations in Wythe County for milestone anniversaries—multiples of five years—recognizing the important role these businesses play in sustaining the region’s economy.
This year’s honorees included SVAM members:
- AQ Transformer Solutions – 40 Years
- Coperion Corporation – 45 Years
Congratulations to these companies for their decades of service, employment, and investment in Wythe County.
Now, we turn our focus to SVAM's recent events and initiatives—highlighting education, workforce development, and industry celebration across the region.
First up: the 2024 Southwest Virginia Manufacturing Awards Banquet, held October 3rd at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. This annual event honors excellence in manufacturing across eight categories. This year's honorees included:
Manufacturer of the Year: Hitachi Energy
Community Impact: Lawrence Brothers, Inc.
Innovations in Manufacturing: Real Performance Machinery
Environmental Excellence: VFP, Inc.
Excellence in Safety: Hitachi Energy
Community Choice: Real Performance Machinery and Somic America
Manufacturing Employee of the Year: Charlie Sullivan of SIG
Eric Miller Memorial Award: Jeff Dunnack
The evening brought together community leaders, business professionals, and regional partners to celebrate achievements that fuel our local economy.
And just a few months later, SVAM hosted another major event celebrating the people driving our region’s manufacturing sector forward—this time with a focus on women making an impact.
The 2025 Women of Manufacturing Symposium was held on March 7 at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. This annual event, which coincides with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, brought together more than 200 attendees—a record turnout this year—including students, professionals, and industry leaders.
The event featured Sneha Atwal, Vice President of the Manufacturing Division at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, as keynote speaker. She shared insights on the evolving role of women in manufacturing and the importance of building a diverse, skilled workforce across Virginia.
A panel discussion followed with women from across the industry sharing their career journeys and lessons learned.
Thank you to the speakers, panelists, and attendees who made this year’s symposium not only the most well-attended yet—but one of the most impactful.
SVAM also hosted three Manufacture Your Career events since the fall. The most recent was on April 7th at Mountain Empire Community College, with panelists from Komatsu Mining, VFP, and Tate. Earlier events took place in November at Wytheville Community College and Virginia Highlands Community College. Across all three sessions, students met local professionals, learned about manufacturing careers, and heard firsthand about opportunities in their own backyards.
And it doesn't stop there. SVAM's Opportunities in Manufacturing presentation series reached over 500 students this spring. We visited six schools in Grayson, Scott, Smyth, Washington, Bland, and Wythe Counties to dispel myths about manufacturing and show students what's possible—from certifications to careers in engineering, business, and beyond.
Members also benefited from exclusive SVAM opportunities this quarter:
Training: OSHA 30, ARC flash, Excel, and supervisor communication workshops
Benchmarking Events: SIG in Chilhowie and an EHS Peer Group session at Woodgrain in Marion
Resource Webinars: With Ballad Health and OpX Solutions on occupational medicine and operational excellence
These offerings continue to support SVAM's mission of aligning workforce skills with industry needs.
That wraps up this edition of SVAM Member News Update. From all of us at SVAM, thank you for supporting manufacturing in Southwest Virginia. We'll be back next quarter with more news, more milestones, and more reasons to celebrate the incredible work happening across our region.