REGIONAL VIEW southern virginia
Litehouse purchases Danville’s Sky Valley Foods by M.J. McAteer
the coming together of two food-processing companies that pride themselves on the goodness of their products. In May, Idaho-based Litehouse Inc., the No. 1 refrigerated salad dressing brand in the country, made public its $46 million purchase of Danville-based Sky Valley Foods, which has been selling organic dressings, marinades, condiments and sauces since 2004. At the time of the announcement, Litehouse President Kelly Prior remarked on “t he great synergies” between the two compa- nies and the
T Prior benefits of that
mind meld are now expected to flow outward into the economy of the Pittsylvania County area. Chris Blanford, direc-
FOR THE RECORD
After a six-month emergency repair to a part of the Danville Expressway, the busy roadway was back to normal in mid- June. The Virginia Department of Transportation has opened all lanes of U.S. 29 near Bark- ers Branch and lifted all travel restrictions, according to the city. An 84-inch underground pipe failed late last year, caus- ing VDOT to shut down the northbound lanes. A detour was in place at first, then crews rerouted northbound traffic to a southbound traffic lane. In May, the northbound lanes reopened, but southbound traffic was still restricted to one lane to allow for repairs to the southbound bridge, the city reported. (Dan- ville Register & Bee)
Graphic courtesy Litehouse Inc.
he deal was a natural — and almost all- natural, to boot —
Idaho-based salad dressing maker Litehouse Inc. acquired Danville’s Sky Valley Foods for $46 million in May.
tor of consumer marketing and communications for Litehouse, says his employee- owned company will qua- druple Sky Valley’s current workforce of 50 by adding 160 jobs in Danville, ranging from entry-level positions to management posts that will require operational and tech- nical expertise. All openings, he says, will be listed on Lite- house’s website and through the local labor department. “Our intention and desire is that most of these positions will be filled from the local Danville area,” Blanford says,
The Halifax County Board of Supervisors has enacted a new, much-discussed land- use tax ordinance. The new ordinance replaces ag-forestal districts with a new set of tax-favored zones that place minimum requirements for land- owners to be considered “bona fide farmers and horticultural- ists.” These basic requirements include farming for at least five years and turning at least a $1,000 profit from farming. (
SoVaNow.com)
Ikea will shut down its operations at Cane Creek Centre industrial park in December, forcing its nearly 300 employees to find work elsewhere. The company announced the decision in July, citing high costs for raw materials in the United States.
adding that Litehouse will be offering on-the-job training for many positions.
Litehouse is planning a
physical expansion, too. The company is already beginning engineering groundwork to expand Sky Valley’s 132,000-square-foot manu- facturing facility in Danville’s Airside Industrial Park, with construction expected to begin by year’s end. First up, however, will be
the integration of Litehouse and Sky Valley. Litehouse will continue producing its Sky Valley and Organicville
Production will move to existing Ikea Industry manufacturing sites in Europe to meet demand for affordable furniture in North America. The plant opened in Danville in May 2008. (Danville Register & Bee)
An application by Landmark Asset Services Inc. to the Virginia Housing Development Authority scored high enough to receive financing for renova- tion of the former Blairs Middle School into loft-style apartments. Southside Lofts will create 55 apartments for working families in Pittsylvania County and surround- ing areas. Landmark will bring this historic structure back to life, while keeping the former school’s history intact. All efforts are being made to preserve the former school’s rich history and will
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lines under their current labeling, Blanford says, while simultaneously assessing trends to meet changing consumer demands. The plant also will begin to produce Litehouse refrigerated sauces and dress- ings, making Danville the company’s sixth manufacturing center in the country and the only one on the East Coast. Sky Valley founder
Rachel Kruse, a third-gener- ation vegetarian, is staying on to help oversee her company’s original lines and to develop more of what she calls “better- for-you products.”
include displays of school memo- rabilia. (Chatham Star-Tribune)
PEOPLE
Karen R. Jackson, a former state secretary of technology under Gov. Terry McAuliffe, has been named interim executive director of the New College Institute in Martinsville. Jackson, who also served as deputy secretary of technology under Govs. Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell, is the president of Apogee Strategic Partners, a company focused on providing technology consulting and advisory services. She replaces Leanna Blevins, now assistant vice president for health, science and technology education at the Virginia Tech- Carilion campus in Roanoke. (Martinsville Bulletin)
Jeffrey V. Haley, president and CEO of Danville-based American National Bank & Trust, has been named chairman of the Virginia Bankers Association. He succeeds Scott C. Harvard, CEO and director of First Bank, to become VBA’s 127th chairman. (Danville Register & Bee)
The Danville-based Institute for Advanced Learning and Research has appointed Jackie Gill Powell to the Institute’s board of trustees for a three-year term. As the new president of Danville Community College, Powell will serve with voting privileges and lend educational and workforce development expertise to economic transformation efforts. (
GoDanRiver.com)
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