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Robert Goldsmith,
President and CEO
1173 West Main Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
Phone: (276) 623-9000
Fax: (276) 628-2931
peopleinc@naxs.com
www.peopleincorp.org
Counties Served:
Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Washington, and Bristol
City
Incorporated:
1964
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 Southwest
Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, was
one of the first areas of America's interior to have
been settled (back in 1765). It boasts the state's
highest mountains and is the birthplace of George C.
Scott.
Although once a coal mining community, today the area's
coal companies simply do not have enough jobs to sustain
local residents. More than 5,000 coal-related jobs have
disappeared in the past decade; this trend shows no
signs of reversing. More than 21 percent of the
residents live in poverty compared with 11.6 percent of
Virginia residents overall.
Despite
county officials' efforts to lure other industries into
the area, few businesses have opted to relocate. The
region's winding roads and mountainous landscape limit
economic development opportunities. Poor water quality
and availability remain a constant issue.
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