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Martinsville, VA - November 29, 2007
The Martinsville - Henry County Economic Development Corporation celebrated the official opening of the Martinsville- Henry County Visitor Center today with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Center, located at 54 West Church Street in UpTown Martinsville, has been operational since July. "It took a few months to solidify staffing and gather all the literature that is now available to our visitors," remarks David Rotenizer, Director of Tourism, Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation. "We wanted to ensure everything was in place before having an official opening celebration."
Several officials were on hand to make remarks for this occasion including the Honorable W. Roscoe Reynolds, Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman H. G. Vaughn, Martinsville City Vice-Mayor James Clark and Steve Galyean, Director of Tourism Development with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Alisa Bailey, President and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. "The opening of the new visitor center is an exciting development that is going to help garner more tourists - and tourism dollars - to the region," said Alisa Bailey. "There is great momentum in Martinsville-Henry County for building a tourism economy which not only improves the quality of life for the citizens but also draws in tourists so that the beauty, history, excitement and true southern hospitality of the region can be shared. It is not only an accomplishment for Martinsville-Henry County but an accomplishment for the entire Southern Virginia region."
The Visitor Center is located in the storefront of the Southern Virginia Artisan Center in partnership with Patrick Henry Community College. The EDC made the decision earlier this year to locate within the Artisan Center to leverage its prime location in uptown Martinsville and to draw attention to the Artisan Center as a valuable tourism asset.
"The Visitor Center is a new and exciting interactive marketing tool for the Martinsville-Henry County area. This is an important focal point for the tourism interests of the community," remarked Rotenizer. "Aside from being a source of information to visitors, it is my hope that members of the community will stop by to learn more about the area and the tourism assets we have to offer. The establishment of a visitor center is an important milestone in the development of our tourism program."
The Visitor Center is open seven days weekly from 10 AM - 5 PM. Visitors Center staff may be reached by dialing 276-632-8006.
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