Andrews Farming Inc. and its sister company, ANDCO Logistics, Inc., will invest more than $5.6 million to expand their agricultural production, warehousing and distribution operation in Carroll County, Virgina. The company plans to create 51 new jobs in the Commonwealth.

Governor Terry McAuliffe said, “Andrews Farming is a homegrown, family-operated company that was established in 1975 by Mr. Keith Andrews, who operated out of an old International pickup. From that point, the business has grown in Southwest Virginia for the past 40 years to serve a multi-state market. Carroll County offers Andrews Farming and ANDCO Logistics a strong grouping of agricultural entities that can work together to grow this important sector in the region.”

“The available facility in the Carroll County Industrial Park and close proximity to the Southwest Virginia Farmers’ Market, along with a deep-rooted history in agriculture, makes Carroll County an ideal location for the corporate move. Virginia’s agriculture industry has a tremendous economic impact, and Andrews Farming is an important contributor. ANDCO Logistics will handle long-haul shipping of agricultural products, and we look forward to the far-reaching benefits of this expanded operation in Carroll County,” the Governor added.

“It is always cause for celebration when a strong, established Virginia company chooses to expand within the Commonwealth,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade and member of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. “Carroll County is a great fit for Andrews Farming and ANDCO Logistics, offering an agricultural industry cluster and the natural resources and infrastructure on which Andrews Farming has come to depend over the last decades. The new facility will also allow the company to meet increased production demand and provide fresh produce to its customers up and down the East Coast, simultaneously benefitting local farmers in Southwest Virginia.”

“Andrews Farming and ANDCO Logistics appreciate what Carroll County has done to land our operation. The Tobacco Commission, Carroll County Industrial Development Authority, the aCorridor, Virginia Jobs Investment Program, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership have stepped up to the plate and assisted in overcoming obstacles at every turn,” said Mr. Keith Andrews, President/ CEO of both Andrews Farming Inc. and its sister company, ANDCO Logistics, Inc.

“Carroll County is investing in the agricultural industry as a community, and we see this non-traditional philosophy as a major magnet for us and other food-related operations in the future. It is extremely impressive to know that Carroll County has the first STEM Lab dedicated to agriculture in the nation, and, in reality, this investment provided the tipping point for us to grow our business in Carroll County, along with access to I-77, the Southwest Virginia Farmers Market and proximity to the new Wildwood Commerce Park,” Andrews said.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Carroll County, the Carroll County Industrial Development Authority, and Virginia’s aCorridor to help secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $225,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Barry Hicks, Chairman of the Carroll County Industrial Development Authority said, “The announcement today is a wonderful example of Carroll County investing in the strong sector of agriculture and having an almost immediate return on the investment. The STEM Lab for Agriculture is assisting in gaining jobs today while preparing students for the workforce needs of the future.”