Surry Business

This week brought unwelcome news that another Mount Airy apparel company will lay off workers this spring, but News 14 Carolina today reports that Surry County’s business and economic-development leaders remain optimistic about the county’s future economic health.

They say the region is in transition.

Robin Rhyne, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, points out companies who have opened their doors in recent months.

“We have seen fabricated metal work coming here,” Rhyne said. “We’ve got a company that is starting up in the county that makes armored personnel carriers.”

Surry County also is wooing Fibrowatt, a company that generates electricity by burning chicken litter. And there’s been growth in the local health care, wine and tourism industries.

Rhyne says it’s too early to name names, but other companies are looking closely at Surry County — companies she refers to as “advanced manufacturers.”

“They’re highly automated and their processes are using new kinds of materials and they’re expecting their employees to be pretty educated,” she said.

News 14 Carolina’s web page includes a written summary of the story and a link to the actual video.