Southern Virginia
Regional View
H
Henry apparel company wins national competition by Veronica Garabelli
enry County- based RaesWear LLC still may be
a startup, but it already has gotten a nod of approval from one of the nation’s top sports apparel companies.
company. From 2,000 ap-
Most of the money that Leigh and James Cockram won in the competition was used to legally protect their business.
RaesWear cre- ON THE WEB
Complete list of For the Record and People at
VirginiaBusiness.com FOR THE RECORD
As grading approaches completion, Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre (CCBC) in Henry County already is drawing significant interest from industries, according to Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development President/CEO Mark Heath. Henry County Deputy Administrator Dale Wagoner says the grading project is scheduled to be completed in the spring. (Martinsville Bulletin)
Hardide Coatings has opened a production facility in Henry County — the only one that it currently operates in the United States. Just two people worked there in early January, but the company aims to create up to 29 jobs at the plant in the Bowles Industrial Park during the next three years. Based
ates athletic wear with waistbands designed to store keys, phones and other personal items. T e company won the $50,000 grand prize at the Future Show Innovation Challenge sponsored last fall by Baltimore-based Under Armour. RaesWear technology also will be incorporated into future Under Armour prod- ucts, says Laurin Wolf, a spokesperson for the
in England, Hardide makes patented hard-wearing tungsten carbide coatings for customers in the oil and gas and flow control markets. (Martinsville Bulletin)
Martinsville-based Hooker Furniture Corp. plans to acquire the business of North Carolina-based Home Meridian International (HMI) for $100 million. The deal, the largest in Hooker’s 91-year history, is expected to more than double the size of the company and make it one of the nation’s top five furniture companies. HMI is the parent company of five business units, including Pulaski Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, Prime Resources International and Right 2 Home. HMI is expected to operate as a Hooker division. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
16 FEBRUARY 2016
plicants, RaesWear was one of 10 companies picked to participate in the challenge at Under Armour’s headquarters. “T e prize money has been fantastic because our business is completely self- funded, so it’s nice to be able to reinvest that money,” says Leigh Cockram, who launched RaesWear in December 2014 with her husband, James. In addition to running the company, she is director of research and busi- ness development at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville.
Most of the money
from the competition, Leigh Cockram says, has been used to legally protect RaesWear’s business concept. It has been issued one utility patent and has three other patents pending, she says. Cockram came up with the idea for
Danville Regional Medical Center held a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 20 for the new Chatham Diagnostic Imaging Center. The imaging center will include digital X-ray, ultrasound and mammography. The facility was also have office space for specialists and LabCare services. The center is expected to begin operating in late summer. (Work It, SoVa)
Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) will begin offering a new program this year aimed at training students to become power-line workers. Electric utilities expect many of their current workers to retire in coming years. SVCC’s proposal was one of five successful entries in the first Governor’s Competition for Talent Solutions, which was announced last fall. The Power Line Worker Training Program will receive
RaesWear more than three years ago when she was head of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, an economic development group. While on a busi- ness trip, she wanted a place to store personal items while on a run but she didn’t want to carry a fanny pack or belt. T at experience inspired her to design a waistband-pocket for workout pants that dif- fered from attire on the market. “At fi rst it was just
for me,” Leigh says of the idea. “T en I started thinking, ‘If I need this, and it worked so well for me, other people are going to need it.’ ” She made product
prototypes and then hired a designer to make the pocket func- tional and aesthetically appealing. Today, RaesWear
sells shorts, capris, tights, pants as well as “skorts” and “skapris,” skirts with built-in shorts or capris. T e
a $200,000 matching incentive grant from the commonwealth. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
PEOPLE
Jessie Barksdale, elected chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors. Barksdale also was chairman in 2014. He succeeds Brenda Bowman, who was chairwoman for one year. (Danville Register & Bee)
Named to the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission: Gayle F. Barts, a legislative assistant; John Sherrard Holland, owner, Holland Lumber Services LLC and Holland Hunting Preserve LLC; Cathy Lowe, Abingdon vice mayor and executive director, Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator; and Robert
products, which range from $35-$60, are sold on
RaesWear.com. Eventually, RaesWear also plans to license its technology to other companies. RaesWear’s mer- chandise is made in Martinsville at Mollies Originals, a sewing and embroidery fi rm. RaesWear sources fabrics through Solid Stone Fabrics in Mar- tinsville and Kendor Textiles in Canada. In addition to winning the Under Armour competition, RaesWear also re- ceived a $1,200 website development grant through Martinsville- Henry County Eco- nomic Development Corp.’s Small Business Division. RaesWear redesigned its website in October, a move Cockram says has really paid off . “We’ve been very pleased with sales vol- ume, and it’s increased month over month,” she says.
Mills, Jr., owner/operator, Briar View Farms. Robert Spiers, owner/operator, Spiers Farm LLC and member of the Virginia Farm Bureau, was renamed to the commission. (News release)
Alan Howard, named acting president, First State Bank, Danville. He replaces Kelvin Perry, who has left the bank to pursue other opportunities. Howard has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at First State since 2009. (Work It, SoVa)
U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th
,
confirmed his plans to retire from Congress when his term expires. Hurt, who lives in Chatham,
was first elected in 2010. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Photo courtesy RaesWear LLC
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