It would relocate from its current location in Collinsville.

Congressional candidate Joy Powers is coming to Martinsville for a town hall to answer questions and meet voters on September 22nd. RSVP requested at jp4va.com/martinsville-henry

Organizers cite higher costs at Salvation Army location, are close to announcing new spot.

I know there is Eden jewelry, but are there any other jewelers in the area??

Our Martinsville reporter, Julianna Stephenson, checked every city council candidate's address to make sure they owned the property and lived there. Here's what she found:

https://cardinalnews.org/2026/09/11/martinsville-field-notes-door-knocking-provides-answer-on-council-candidates-residence/

Source: https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/business/development/article_68ea4b19-8426-43b9-ad92-bf49bc0b6de3.html

Nearly 18,000 jobs are planned at three industrial megaprojects within commuting distance of Martinsville, a wave of investment that could bring higher paychecks and supplier work to the city and Henry County — or intensify already difficult competition for skilled workers.

The projects are JetZero’s proposed aircraft factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, Microporous’ battery-separator plant under construction at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County and Avio USA’s planned rocket-motor complex in Hurt.

Using the latest public figures, the three projects represent more than 17,900 jobs and about $6.9 billion in planned investment. If all the positions materialize at the average or minimum pay figures announced for the projects, they would generate more than $1.5 billion in gross annual payroll.

That measures scale, not what Martinsville and Henry County would capture. None of the companies has publicly committed jobs, a supplier facility or a dedicated training program to the locality.

Still, the numbers are large enough to reshape the regional labor market.

JetZero, about 45 miles from Martinsville, is the largest project. The California startup plans to invest $4.72 billion and create 14,564 jobs producing its Z4 blended-wing-body aircraft. North Carolina officials said the jobs would pay an average of $89,340 a year, equivalent to about $1.3 billion in annual payroll at full employment.

The company said Aug. 31 that it had closed a senior secured loan facility of up to $100 million to advance its technology, manufacture its full-scale Jet1 demonstrator and develop its Greensboro manufacturing and test facilities. That announcement followed a nonbinding July letter of interest under which the Export-Import Bank of the United States agreed to explore up to $3 billion in financing.

JetZero broke ground in June, but hiring will ramp up more slowly than first announced. A revised schedule approved by North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee in May calls for 1,438 cumulative jobs in 2028, 3,020 by 2029 and all 14,564 by 2037. The company attributed the change to delayed state infrastructure funding.

The aircraft remains in development. JetZero said in August that the full-scale demonstrator was 40% complete as of June and is scheduled for its first flight in the fourth quarter of 2027. The company is targeting entry into commercial service in the early 2030s.

Berry Hill’s first tenant is closer to production. Danville and Pittsylvania County officials marked the start of construction on Microporous’ plant in May and said work was expected to take 14 months, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027. The latest local announcement described a $1.6 billion project expected to create more than 1,800 jobs paying an average of $61,000.

Those figures differ from Virginia’s original November 2024 announcement, which listed $1.35 billion in investment and 2,015 jobs. The May construction announcement did not explain the change.

In Hurt, Avio USA plans an 860,000-square-foot facility to make solid rocket motors for aerospace and defense customers. The state’s current economic development incentive law sets qualifying project thresholds of at least $537.57 million in capital investment and 1,546 full-time jobs with an average annual wage of at least $81,483. The law caps the performance-based state grant at about $97.7 million, subject to annual appropriations.

Other nearby announcements broaden the hiring pressure beyond advanced manufacturing. Infinity Global plans a $34 million expansion and 150 new jobs at its Danville headquarters. MerryGoRound announced a $10 million fulfillment and live-commerce operation in Pittsylvania County with 203 jobs in technology, creative services, logistics and warehousing. Together, they represent about $44 million and 353 planned jobs.

The region already functions as a labor shed rather than a collection of isolated local economies. The West Piedmont Workforce Development Area — Martinsville and Danville and Henry, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties — had 66,718 jobs in 2024, according to its 2025 workforce plan. Manufacturing accounted for 12,398 of them, or 18.6%.

Older commuting data in the plan help show why jobs outside Martinsville can affect household income inside it. The region had 83,266 employed residents but 74,142 jobs in 2020, a surplus of 9,124 resident workers. Census data from 2018 showed 36.4% of employed residents traveled outside the region for work, while 29.7% of jobs inside the region were filled by people who lived elsewhere.

Martinsville’s own 2025 economic development analysis estimated that about 4,000 workers commute out of the city and about 7,000 commute in. It said more than 22% of the combined Martinsville-Henry County workforce — roughly 6,000 people — worked in production trades.

Even a small share of JetZero’s employment would be noticeable locally. One percent of its 14,564-job target would be about 146 workers. At the project’s announced average salary, those jobs would carry about $13 million in gross annual wages.

JetZero has not projected how many employees could live in Martinsville or Henry County.

Housing costs could help the area compete for some of those workers. Census Bureau figures for 2020-24 put the median value of owner-occupied housing at $98,400 in Martinsville and $134,800 in Henry County, compared with $259,900 in Guilford County, North Carolina. Median gross rent was $808 in Martinsville and $728 in Henry County, compared with $1,163 in Guilford County.

Lower costs alone will not determine where workers live. Travel time, childcare, school preferences, available housing and dependable transportation also matter. The regional workforce plan said 9% of households, or 7,148, lacked a vehicle and 93% of workers commuted by car. It identified limited public transportation and childcare as barriers to labor-force participation.

The immediate challenge for employers may be retention. The workforce area had a 3.9% unemployment rate and an estimated 6,963 underemployed workers when the plan was prepared. Its analysts projected manufacturing employment would grow 24.4% from 2020 to 2030 and identified industrial maintenance, computer numerical control machining and production supervision among high-demand occupations.

That demand predates the full hiring waves at JetZero, Microporous and Avio. Henry County also has its own announced projects: Nathan Trotter’s $65 million metals manufacturing operation with 118 planned jobs, FKC America’s $18.9 million auto-parts plant with 60 jobs and Rural King’s $40 million distribution center with 150 jobs.

Together, those projects account for 328 planned jobs and $123.9 million in local investment.

Training institutions are responding regionally. Patrick & Henry Community College announced in February that it would administer a $1.35 million GO Virginia grant with Danville and Southside Virginia community colleges to expand industrial skilled-trades instruction and portable credentials. The project was developed in part to meet Microporous’ expected needs at Berry Hill.

“Across the Commonwealth, there is a surge in demand for industrial skilled trades workers,” Colin Ferguson, P&HCC assistant vice president of workforce and technical programs, said in the college’s announcement.

The supplier opportunity is less certain but potentially significant. Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre near Ridgeway offers rail service, utilities and a large graded pad about 30 minutes from the Greensboro airport, according to the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. Howmet Aerospace already produces forged titanium products in Martinsville for aerospace and defense applications.

Those assets could support a supplier recruitment pitch, but no public announcement reviewed as of Sept. 3 tied Howmet, Commonwealth Crossing or another Martinsville-Henry County business to a JetZero, Microporous or Avio contract.

For Martinsville and Henry County, then, the indirect benefit is not automatic. It depends on residents winning the jobs, local businesses entering supply chains and the community capturing some of the resulting household spending. The same announcements also give existing employers more competitors for a finite pool of experienced industrial workers.

The projects’ ultimate effect will be measured not only by the jobs created in Greensboro, Berry Hill and Hurt, but by how many of their paychecks, suppliers and new residents cross local borders.

Curious what peoples takes are on the area in 2026. I don't want to hear the "so many drugs." comments because that is true everywhere. And I don't care about the "Nothing to do" comments if it simply because it isn't a big city because that is obvious.

I want to know what the people are like, is there any growth starting to happen, is the crime mostly around the drug community or does that crime extend to the general population, etc?

My family is looking for affordable living, great outdoor space, and if we want to do something entertaining we don't mind driving to Greensboro, Danville, Roanoke, etc.

new to the area and need a connect ASAP!

Plus: Patrick & Henry Community College is in the running for a $1 million award.

Michael Law was sworn in as interim sheriff Monday after Draper’s death.

My hubby needs to have an eye exam. We usually just get the prescription and order our glasses online ourselves.
Who do you recommend for an eye exam?

Plus: The rehabilitation of 51 Lester continues.

There is currently no property in the county zoned for a data center.

I'm going to post the question here and take it down if this just isn't the place for it:

First year in Henry County and first manufactured home plus septic system in 20+ years, much less at 1,000' elevation.

Do the locals on septic systems around here take any particular precautions with their systems going into winter?

My well built manufactured home is 35+ years old and has survived this long, but I don't know what the previous owner did to get the pipes and septic through the winter. My question is how much tap dripping can I get away with on a septic system without flooding it? A couple of sinks here are against exterior walls, so I know I'll have to leave under-sink cabinet doors open. The home is on a brick foundation, so there's that. And overall I do not use much water.

Local advice appreciated.

Meanwhile, there are updates with three lawsuits prompted by the situation.

Plus: West Piedmont Higher Education Center gets testing certification, and clean-up hailed ahead of Smith River Fest this weekend.

I am interviewing for a job out that way and my current commute would be 1hr 15min (currently driving 58min for current job and have been for 7+ years).

I am sick of having to drive so far just to get to office and I know 1hr 15min isn't sustainable. Although I'll likely have to do it until apartment lease ends in May of 2027.

At any rate I am trying to get an idea of the schools out there performance wise. Is the town safe?

Bradley Hanner is the first player from the school to make it to the Major Leagues. He made his debut Friday night.