A huge, new, high tech greenhouse operation is coming to the New River Valley.
It will mean jobs at the new facility and all along the supply chain.
A company called, Red Sun Farms will build climate-controlled greenhouses on 45 acres of land in the New River Valley Commerce Park to grow organic vegetables. As the operation ramps up over the next five years, the Mexico based company expects to bring over two hundred jobs to the region with its 30 million dollar capital investment. The jobs will be in construction, greenhouse operation and distribution of the produce.
Executive Director of the New River Valley Program Alliance, Aric Bopp, says the project was two years in the planning. He visited Red Sun Farms’ hydroponic greenhouses in Canada and in Michoacán, Mexico where it is based.
“And it is a world class operation, very high tech operation. We think with the VTs expertise and the communities history in agriculture, we think it’s going to be a great fit for the community in providing wonderful opportunities for our citizens moving forward for many years,” said Bopp.
Red Sun Farms will be the first business to locate in the thousand acre, publicly owned industrial site near the New River Valley airport in Dublin near route 81.
Governor McDonnell approved a $350,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist Pulaski County. Another one hundred thousand dollar incentive came from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund. Red Sun Farms is also eligible for state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program.