Wise County Economic & Industrial Development

03/18/2026

Attention job seekers, students, and recent grads -- Be sure you've marked your calendar for the 2026 SWVA Career Fair coming up Thursday, April 2, 2026 at the Prior Center on the campus of UVA Wise. A great lineup of employers and other organizations are listed and more are being added!

02/10/2026

Are you a Wise County or SWVA business that is looking to fill job vacancies or preparing for an expansion? Be sure to register your business for the upcoming 2026 SWVA Career Fair to be held at the David J. Prior Center on the campus of UVA-Wise. Use the QR code below to register your business. Additional information for job seekers will be made available in the coming weeks.

10/21/2025

Congratulations to VFP, Inc. and our Scott County neighbors on this exciting expansion in Duffield, VA! 🎉

Governor Glenn Youngkin, 74th Governor of Virginia

10/20/2025

⚡️Reminder: Electric Authority Referendum Webinar This Week! ⚡️

Join us Tuesday, October 22 at 3 PM for an informational webinar hosted by the Wise County Economic & Industrial Development Office.

This session will explain the Electric Authority Referendum that will appear on Wise County voters’ ballots this November — including the purpose of the referendum, the priorities of a potential Electric Authority, and how those priorities connect to Wise County’s long-term economic and infrastructure goals.

Our goal is to provide residents with clear, factual information ahead of Election Day and answer questions relating to the referendum.

👉 Register here:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/zr7etd6

We hope you’ll join us!

10/14/2025

⚡️Webinar: Understanding the Wise County Electric Authority Referendum ⚡️

Join Wise County Economic & Industrial Development Office staff for an informational webinar on October 22 at 3 PM to learn more about the Electric Authority Referendum that will appear on Wise County voters’ ballots this November. This session will help residents understand the purpose of the proposed referendum, the key priorities of a local Electric Authority, and how those priorities align with Wise County’s long-term economic and infrastructure goals. This session will provide residents with clear, factual information about the referendum before heading to the polls.

Please register at the following link:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/32658480-9e85-4644-9653-a85c94937dd1

04/07/2025

Check out the new Wise County Economic & Industrial Development newsletter for all the latest local business news! ⬇

Email from Wise County Government Volume 19 | April 1, 2025 Wise County Office of Economic & Industrial Development Newsletter Wise County Economic Development Unveils New Branding The Wise County Off

10/04/2024

The latest issue of Wise Advice, our office's quarterly business newsletter, is here! Check it out at the link below (and be one of the first to discover our new branding!) ⬇️

https://conta.cc/3BytMYg

07/11/2024

Great news for Virginia! 👏 👏👏

05/06/2024

Our team is proud to be active members of the Virginia Economic Developers Association. Join us in celebrating Economic Development Week and thanks to all of our valuable partners!

Mountain Empire Community College
The University of Virginia's College at Wise
Wise County/City of Norton Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority
GO Virginia Region 1
Lenowisco PDC
InvestSWVA
Lonesome Pine RIFA
Wise County Public Schools

Celebrating Economic Developers Week! Ever wonder how communities flourish? Economic developers are the architects of growth, weaving strategies, attracting investments and fostering innovation. Join us throughout the week in celebrating the force behind thriving economies!

05/03/2024

We are honored to have Mountain Empire Community College as a partner in our efforts to grow the economy of Wise County and all of SWVA! Kudos to the staff, students and faculty for a great new branding campaign!

03/19/2024

Congratulations to the Lyric Theater for this wonderful recognition!

Congratulations to The Lyric Theater, CEDA 2024 Recipient!

Rehabilitation of the Lyric Theater was an innovative project in a variety of ways. The Town of St. Paul identified the need for an economic shift from coal and rail to eco-tourism and identified the Lyric as an opportunity to draw residents and tourists to the community. St. Paul applied for an Industrial Revitalization Fund grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to fund the project after securing a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Multiple other grants and individual donations funded the project that has ripple effects across the community with new restaurants opening, job creation and an increase in local sales tax, resulting from concessions purchased at the theater.