Halifax Horizons Hosts Annual Meeting

Members and guests of Halifax County Business Horizons, Inc. gathered this week at the Weldon Mills Theatre for the 30th Annual Meeting, celebrating another year of progress and collaboration in support of Halifax County’s economic development efforts.

Dan Gerlach of Dan Gerlach LLC was the keynote speaker for the evening, sharing insights on Halifax County’s position within the broader economic landscape. Gerlach focused his comments on how Halifax County fits into the greater economic picture and stands apart from its competition. He emphasized the county’s assets, specifically agriculture; the county’s major economic sectors including manufacturing and health care; geography (I-95); and  leadership, encouraging stakeholders to continue to work together to support future opportunities and be willing to put “skin in the game” for major projects.

Culminating the evening was the presentation of the annual “Working Together Works” award, which honors an individual or organization that has had a significant impact on economic development in Halifax County. This year’s award was presented to Marshall Cherry, CEO of Roanoke Cooperative.

In presenting the award, Aman noted, “Under Cherry’s leadership, Roanoke Cooperative continues to be a key partner in improving infrastructure and economic opportunities in Halifax County. We are grateful to Marshall and the entire Roanoke Electric Cooperative for their collaborative spirit.”

In the past year, Roanoke Cooperative provided funding to update site due diligence at the Halifax Corporate Park and committed $2 million in REDLG funding to Halifax County to leverage a $1.4 million Golden LEAF grant to construct a 40,000 square foot shell industrial building at the Park. Additionally, Roanoke Cooperative has continued to build its fiber network to provide affordable broadband access, supporting both business growth and community needs.

Upon receiving the award, Marshall Cherry stated, “I am truly honored to receive this award. Working with Halifax County has been incredibly rewarding, and I am proud of what we are achieving together. There is a dedicated team here, and their commitment to progress is inspiring.”  Cherry added, “I look forward to building on our successes and to continuing to create positive opportunities.”

Roanoke Electric Cooperative is a longstanding Platinum member of Halifax Horizons and has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the greater Halifax County community and its service area.

Halifax County Business Horizons, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide funding for economic development projects in all of Halifax County. Private funds raised by the organization support business and industry recruitment and expansion and tourism development. Halifax Horizons provides critical financial support for projects that directly impact the success of our local tourism and economic development efforts.