VCEDA Closes Loan to Wise County IDA For New Blackwood Industrial Park Acreage
WISE, VA – MARCH 31, 2026 – A $230,000 loan to the Wise County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) was closed recently between the IDA and the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA). The funds were used to purchase approximately 23.714 acres of real estate in the Blackwood Industrial Park in Wise County for economic development purposes.
“The Blackwood Industrial Park, which is located off Business Route 23 between the City of Norton and the Town of Appalachia, is one of the earliest industrial parks in Wise County,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “The funds were used to purchase a piece of privately owned property in the industrial park to add to the IDA’s inventory of available property for industrial development.”
The primary tenant of the Blackwood Industrial Park is BA Mullican Lumber, which has operated a hardwood flooring plant in the park for several decades and is one of the largest manufacturing employers in the region. The park is also home to the Wise County landfill and the Wise County animal shelter.
Although the parcel purchased with the VCEDA funds is largely undeveloped, it does have all of the pertinent utilities nearby because it is located within an established industrial park and near Business Route 23.
“The acquisition of the Blackwood Industrial Site provides Wise County with another valuable asset as we continue to expand our inventory of available sites suitable for development,” said Wise County IDA Executive Director Brian Falin. “This site has been on the radar of the IDA for several years and we are excited to have reached an agreement with the property owner for the purchase of the property. Since this site is located within an existing industrial park, has access to all utilities and has good transportation access, it will certainly be a highly marketable site for our recruiting efforts as well as generating new jobs and investment for the region. We wish to thank the VCEDA board and staff for their continued support of economic development efforts in Wise County.”
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
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PHOTO CAPTION: VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher, left, presents a ceremonial check for $230,000 to Wise County IDA Executive Director Brian Falin. The funds were used to purchase additional acreage in the Blackwood Industrial Park in Wise County to be used for economic development.