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Arrington-Dodge Expansion Arrington Manufacturing expanding at new County site Arrington Manufacturing, one of the top motorsports engineering companies in the country, announced today that it would expand its Henry County operations into a new 50,000 square foot facility in the Patriot Centre. The expansion will bring an additional 50 jobs and a capital investment of about $2 million. Arrington Manufacturing currently employs 15 people at its facility on Kings Mountain Road, where it builds Dodge engines for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and works in research and development for Dodge's new venture into the NASCAR Winston Cup series. Dodge will re-enter Winston Cup racing in 2001 for the first time in more than 20 years. "The Henry County-Martinsville area is synonymous with motorsports, and the decision by Arrington Manufacturing to expand here indicates that we will have an increasingly large presence in the sport," said Henry County Administrator Sid Clower. "This is a highly technical and very precise field. We anticipate even more growth by Arrington Manufacturing in the near future." Joey Arrington, President of Arrington Manufacturing, said the company's local roots simplified the decision to expand here. Buddy Arrington, Joey's father, was a NASCAR Winston Cup car owner and driver throughout the 1960s, '70s and '80s. "Being located here has helped our business flourish because of the 20 major tracks located in Virginia and the surrounding states," Joey Arrington said. "Motorsports have existed for a long time, but they've rapidly evolved in the past few years. We are situated to take full advantage of that growth right here in Henry County." Expanding locally also allows Arrington Manufacturing to take advantage of partnerships it has established with Henry County Schools and Patrick Henry Community College. The partnerships include student apprenticeships and specific courses of study designed to introduce local residents to the motorsports business. PHCC offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in motorsports management based on the completion of 67 credit hours of study. The college also offers a Career Studies Certificate in Motorsports Management and a Career Studies Certificate in Motorsports Technology. Henry County Schools' Student Apprenticeship Training program allows County students 16 years and older to partner with area businesses and industries for hands-on experience. Arrington Manufacturing was the first local business to join that program. "An exciting part of this venture is the chance to partner with the County school system and PHCC," Arrington said. "I look forward to seeing our local residents complete these academic programs and enter the motorsports business." Arrington Manufacturing will build on an eight-acre site in Henry County's Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek business park. Henry County will donate the land to the company and will arrange a $1.3 million loan through the Henry County Industrial Development Authority for site preparation and construction.
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