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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Valley Guard Supply Plans Harrisonburg, Virginia, PPE Factory

02/11/2021
Valley Guard Supply, a service-disabled, veteran-owned company, will invest $1 million to establish a personal protective equipment manufacturing facility in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The project is expected to create 45 new jobs.

Founded by James Madison University alumni, Valley Guard Supply is a new start-up manufacturer of personal protective equipment that launched in April 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The company has leased a facility, is purchasing machinery, and hiring full-time staff to establish its first permanent location in Virginia.

“Without a doubt, talent was the driving force behind Valley Guard Supply’s decision to locate its ‘Made in the USA’ operation in Harrisonburg,” said Andy Perrine, Strategic Advisor at Valley Guard Supply. “James Madison University’s ranking as Virginia’s best school for getting a job and the university’s programs teaching innovation, most notably JMU X-labs, gives the company great confidence that our plans for growth and expansion can rely on a steady stream of top talent.”

Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Harrisonburg as an incentive to secure the project for Virginia, and connected Valley Guard Supply with GenEdge, which has since approved the company for the GO Virginia-funded Retooling Virginia Manufacturers for Strategic Industries Program. VEDP will support Valley Guard’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

“We are excited to add this homegrown Virginia company to our roster and thank Valley Guard Supply for creating 45 new jobs in the Shenandoah Valley,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “This project is a great success story of proud JMU alumni with first-hand knowledge of the region’s assets and talent who are committed to the Harrisonburg community and the Commonwealth. We thank Valley Guard for its investment and look forward to our partnership.”

Valley Guard produces three-ply disposable masks that are 100 percent made in the United States and intends to manufacture other types of safety and security gear in the future. The company has started working with Harrisonburg officials to donate masks to local nonprofits and community organizations serving families in need.

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