DANVILLE - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Yorktowne Cabinetry, Inc., a fully integrated manufacturer of fine cabinetry, will invest $19 million to open its first Virginia plant in Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park jointly developed by Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville. The project will create 540 new jobs over five years. Virginia successfully competed against North Carolina for the project.
“It’s a good day whenever we can bring new jobs to Southside Virginia. But it’s a better day when those jobs are counted in the hundreds,” said Governor Warner. “We did our part at the state level to help make this project happen, but Yorktowne Cabinetry’s decision clearly resulted from strategic cooperation throughout the region.”
Cane Creek Centre is a collaborative development project between the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County. The two communities will share in tax revenue generated by businesses in the industrial park.
Headquartered in Red Lion, Pa., what was then known as “Colonial Products” began operations in 1908 in New York with the manufacture of wooden doors, window frames, and sashes. Yorktowne Cabinetry, Inc. was acquired in 1993 by Elkay Manufacturing Company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of residential and commercial stainless steel sinks. Yorktowne Cabinetry was the first of three companies acquired by Elkay for their cabinetry division. All of the facilities were upgraded, enabling Yorktowne Cabinetry to produce a high-quality, semi-custom product more efficiently. Today they are one of the nation’s largest producers of fine quality, semi-custom cabinetry, with distribution in markets east of the Mississippi River.
“Danville’s Office of Economic Development and the Commonwealth of Virginia assembled a team that was responsive to our needs and committed to an aggressive level of combined support. This was influential in our decision making process. However, the most important factor in embracing Danville, Virginia was the business friendly environment that they have been able to create. We look forward to our future partnership,” said Jack Edl, President, Elkay Mfg. Company & Chief Operating Officer.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to secure the project for Virginia. Governor Warner approved a $1.8 million grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist the City of Danville with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $1 million in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training through its Workforce Services Program.
“We are thrilled with Yorktowne Cabinetry’s decision to locate in the Cane Creek Centre. With this announcement the City of Danville along with our partner, Pittsylvania County, takes another step forward to diversifying our economy and putting more of our citizens to work. We welcome Yorktowne as the newest partner to our progressive business community,” said Jerry L. Gwaltney, Danville City Manager.
“The cooperative partnership between the County and City in the development of Cane Creek Centre is beginning to reap results with the decision of Yorktowne Cabinetry to locate a facility in the park,” said Coy Harville, Chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors. “We look forward to working with this newest company that will bring many needed jobs to our region of the Commonwealth.”