Danville City Manager Gwaltney to retire

Danville City Manager Jerry Gwaltney announced his retirement today effective June 30. Gwaltney said he does so with very mixed emotions, "a sense of happiness for the future and an opportunity to do something different with local government." He has been city manager since 2000.

Mayor Sherman Saunders responds to city manager's retirement
“City Council, City Manager Gwaltney, all City Employees and the Citizens of Danville have done an excelled job over the past several years," Mayor Sherman Saunders said in a written statement. "This collective effort has resulted in much progress for our City and Region, and includes thousands of job announcements, infrastructure improvements, financial stability, outstanding recognition from State and Federal officials, and other evidence of progress.”
“We wish the best for Jerry and his family, and we thank him for a job well done.”

Timeline
Jerry Gwaltney signed an employment contract on Dec. 22, 1999, and he was sworn in as city manager on Jan. 24, 2000. He came to Danville from Dothan, Ala.

2000: Gwaltney worked to put the Danville Development Council under the city’s economic development umbrella.

2002: Construction begins on the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research. The $15 million state-of-the-art research facility officially opened its doors in June 2004. The glass-framed building at the interchange of U.S. 58 and U.S. 29 includes 25 classrooms, computer and science labs, an electronic library and a large conference area. More than 15,000 square feet have been reserved for research.

2003: Essel Propack, an India-based manufacturer of plastic and laminated tubes, announced plans to invest $10.4 million and 50 jobs initially.

2004: Boscov’s, Telvista and Luna nanoWorks, a nanomaterials manufacturing plant, were brought to Danville. Columbia Flooring Inc. expands. These announcements brought roughly 1,300 new jobs to the community.

2005: Yorktowne Cabinetry, TWM Cabling Solutions, EIT added nearly 700 jobs.

2006: Telvista added 250 new jobs and Piedmont Precision added about 100 jobs. Arista Tubes, a subsidiary of Essel Propack, brings 145 jobs, as shopping cart manufacturer Unarco offers 200 new positions.

Swedwood, IKEA’s furniture manufacturing subsidiary, said it would build its first manufacturing plant in the U.S. The plant, which officially opened on May 21, will provide up to 800 jobs in the next few years. About 175 people work at the plant now.

Construction continues on the 500,000-square-foot Coleman MarketPlace shopping center that was a part of Gwaltney’s “regional shopping hub” strategy. Coleman MarketPlace expects to employ 1,300 to 1,600 people through an assortment of major retail establishments, including Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Home Depot.

Sam’s Club announces plans to build a 130,000-square-foot retail warehouse on Piedmont Drive. It opened in March with a goal to hire up to 150 workers.

2007: Nestlé USA invested $20 million to expand its Danville operation and create 50 new jobs in the city.

Horizontech Inc., a corporate and government outsourcing service company, expands into the Historic Tobacco Warehouse District, creating 100 jobs.

Essel Propack added 35 new jobs – making this the fifth expansion since it opened.

2008: Com.40 Ltd., a major mattresses and upholstered furniture manufacturer for IKEA, will invest $36.3 million and eventually provide 813 jobs. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas for the project.

Advanced Vehicle Research Center will expand to the Cyber Park near the Danville Regional Airport. The company plans to invest $3.5 million and employ 30 full-time workers.

Supply Resources Inc., a custom packaging and logistics business that specializes in both retail and industrial packaging, opens in the heart of Danville’s Historic Tobacco Warehouse District.

Overall: There have been nearly 7,000 new jobs and $531.5 million in new investments created during Gwaltney’s tenure.